A terrifying scene unfolded Tuesday evening near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport when a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff, erupting into flames and forcing authorities to issue an emergency shelter-in-place order for residents within a five-mile radius. The accident, which occurred just after 5:15 p.m. local time, sent thick plumes of black smoke billowing over the Kentucky skyline and left parts of the city in chaos as first responders rushed to contain the disaster.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft—identified as UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11—had just departed from Louisville en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu when it went down moments after takeoff. Witnesses said they heard several loud explosions followed by a fireball that lit up the evening sky. “It was like the ground shook,” said Anna McMullen, who lives about seven minutes from the airport. “When I looked out the window, all I could see was black smoke rolling across the horizon.”
Emergency dispatchers were immediately overwhelmed with calls reporting the crash. Within minutes, Louisville Metro Police, firefighters, and paramedics were on the scene, joined by airport response teams and federal investigators. “This is an active scene with fire and debris,” police announced in a statement posted to X. “We urge everyone to stay away from the area.”
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