Louisville, KY — A UPS cargo plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff from Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, November 4, 2025, sending a tall plume of smoke over the city and prompting officials to issue a shelter-in-place advisory for nearby neighborhoods.
Officials said the aircraft, identified by flight data as UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, went down around 5:15 p.m. local time. Witness video captured flames near the left wing as the jet lifted off, followed by a brief climb and a fireball close to airport property. The impact triggered intense, fuel-fed fires that were visible for miles.
Authorities confirmed three crewmembers were aboard on a route bound for Honolulu. By late evening, emergency managers reported injuries but did not release a confirmed casualty count. The severity of the fire and debris field complicated rescue work and early assessment. City leaders urged residents to avoid the area and yield to first responders operating around the airfield’s northern perimeter.
- Crash time: ~5:15 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Nov 4, 2025
- Aircraft: UPS MD-11 freighter (Flight 2976)
- Response: Multi-alarm fire, hazmat monitoring, road closures
- Public guidance: Shelter-in-place advisory within a five-mile radius downwind of the airport
The crash sparked fires in nearby industrial buildings and scattered debris across restricted zones. Firefighters deployed foam lines to smother burning fuel and protect adjacent structures while hazmat teams monitored air quality and runoff. Several roads were shut as crews established water supply and access corridors around the scene.
UPS confirmed the jet was part of its Louisville-based Worldport operation, a critical hub in the company’s overnight network. Because Worldport sorts a large share of time-sensitive packages, even a short disruption can ripple across U.S. and international deliveries. Airport officials paused departures and arrivals during the initial response before gradually reopening limited operations after safety checks.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board opened a formal investigation. The NTSB will lead, collecting flight data and cockpit voice recordings, air-traffic-control audio, maintenance logs, and on-scene evidence. Preliminary findings are typically released within a few days, while a full probable-cause report can take months.
Veteran pilots note that major accidents rarely stem from a single factor. Investigators will look at engine and fuel-system performance, handling during rotation, weight and balance, recent maintenance, and environmental conditions at takeoff. Analysts will also examine whether an in-flight fire started before liftoff and what checklists the crew executed after any warning indications.
Neighbors described a flash and “roaring heat,” followed by thick black smoke. “It looked like daylight for a second,” said one warehouse worker who witnessed the explosion from a nearby loading dock. Emergency managers advised residents within the advisory zone to keep doors and windows closed and to follow official updates as air monitoring continues.
City officials pledged a public debrief once the fire scene is secured and environmental testing results are compiled. UPS said it is working with authorities and focusing on support for the crew and their families. Additional updates are expected from the NTSB once the Go-Team completes its initial on-scene briefing.
This developing story will be updated as officials release confirmed details.
