US: Three dead, 11 injured as cargo plane crashes after take-off in Kentucky

A major accident occurred in the United States on Tuesday evening when a large UPS cargo aircraft crashed while taking off from Louisville in Kentucky, leaving at least three people dead and 11 injured. Those numbers are expected to grow, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said. The incident took place around 5.15 pm (local time) at Muhammad Ali International Airport. The plane, which had three people on board, was on its way to Honolulu when it went down on the airfield. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the crash triggered an explosion and a raging fire that sent a heavy plume of black smoke into the sky.

The video showed flames on the plane's left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. Video also revealed portions of a building's shredded roof next to the end of the runway.  The Louisville Metro Police Department put out the information via social media. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg told WLKY TV that the scale of risk was enormous because "My understanding is that there were about 280,000 gallons of fuel on the plane and so that is extreme reason for concern in so many different ways."

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UPS hub is located in Louisville

Louisville houses UPS's largest package processing facility with thousands of employees. The hub handles over 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages every hour. Officials said the aircraft involved in the accident was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 model manufactured in 1991.

Shelter in place order extended

Following the crash, a shelter in place advisory was extended for zones north of the airport up to the Ohio River. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear posted on X that updates would be provided once more clarity is available. "Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected," Beshear said.

Know about the aircraft

According to the information, the aircraft involved in the accident was an MD 11F model. It was originally manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and later its production was taken over by Boeing. This aircraft is mainly used for cargo operations and companies like UPS, FedEx and Lufthansa Cargo fly it. The aircraft that crashed was built in 1991.

(With inputs from AP)