Louisville UPS plane crash: At least 7 dead, 11 injured in incident near airport

Reports of plane crash in Louisville, KY

Emergency crews are responding to reports of plane crash at the Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - At least seven people are dead and 11 injured in a UPS cargo plane crash that happened Tuesday afternoon shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

The incident prompted a large emergency response and a shelter-in-place order across parts of the city.

What they're saying:

UPS’s largest package handling facility is in Louisville. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.

"UPS has been notified of an incident/accident involving one of our aircraft in Louisville, KY," the company said on social media shortly after the incident. 

The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement:

UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and will provide all updates.

"Kentucky, we are aware of a reported plane crash near Louisville International Airport. First responders are onsite, and we will share more information as available," Beshear posted earlier on social media. "Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected. We will share more soon."

"Rachel and I are praying for victims of the UPS plane that crashed during takeoff at 5:15 p.m," Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg tweeted.

What we know:

According to WDRB, emergency crews are responding to a reported plane crash near Louisville’s airport. MetroSafe received multiple calls about an explosion near Fern Valley Road and Grade Lane. Louisville Metro Police confirmed an active scene with fire and debris.

Emergency crews are responding after a plane reportedly crashed near Louisville International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. (Credit: WxVision)

Spokesperson Matt Sanders told the outlet that the incident involved a plane crash with injuries and more than 20 calls for service.

A shelter-in-place order was issued around 5:30 p.m. for everyone within five miles of the airport. It was later extended to include all areas from the airport north to the Ohio River. 

Video showed a large plume of smoke in the distance of the airport. 

What we don't know:

It's not known what caused the crash. 

The backstory:

Louisville serves as the UPS Worldport. UPS is the largest employer in the city, employing over 20,000 people in the greater Louisville metropolitan region, according to the company's website. 

UPS’s Worldport in Louisville is the company’s largest package-handling hub. The 5.2 million-square-foot facility handles over 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour. It can reach 95% of the U.S. population within four hours by air. With 20,000 employees. 

What's next:

The airport, meanwhile, was shut down and wasn’t expected to resume operations until Wednesday morning.