At least three people were killed and 11 were injured when a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday evening, the Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear, said at a news conference.
Mr. Beshear said he expected those numbers to grow after the fiery crash. Two businesses near the airport were hit, he said. The death toll did not include the three crew members aboard the plane.
“Anybody who has seen the images and the video knows how violent this crash is,” Mr. Beshear said.
A trail of black smoke billowed from the site of the crash as dozens of federal, state and local emergency agencies rushed to the scene.
The cargo plane, a McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 bound for Honolulu, climbed to 175 feet before swiftly descending shortly after 5:15 p.m, according to data from Flightradar24, a website that provides flight data.
Two businesses were directly hit: Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, and Grade A Auto Parts. Mr. Beshear said two employees at Grade A, an auto parts store, were unaccounted for. It was unclear if there were any customers at the shop when it was hit.
Shelby Shircliff, who works at the recycling business that was hit, said no one was at the site at the time of the crash, though the business did have a pet cat that was most likely there.
Mr. Beshear said no hazardous materials were ignited by the crash, but because the smoke had drifted north toward downtown Louisville, a shelter-in-place order was issued. It extended north to the Ohio River, which marks the border with Indiana.
“There are multiple injuries and a significant fire with many roads closed and air alerts issued because of the smoke,” Allison Martin, a spokeswoman for Mayor Craig Greenberg of Louisville, said in an email.
Footage of the crash that was broadcast on local television showed black smoke billowing skyward near the airport. According to one video, the plane appeared to be on fire as it traveled down the runway. The plane struggled to climb, then crashed, creating an enormous fireball.
“This is an active scene with fire and debris,” the police said on social media. They also asked people to avoid the area.
The area where the crash occurred is largely industrial. The city councilwoman who represents the area, Betsy Ruhe, said UPS was one of the economic backbones of the city, and many residents were desperately searching to confirm their loved ones were OK.
“This strongly affects my district and it is a tragedy,” Ms. Ruhe said.
“There are a lot of UPS employees around here, and our big concern right now is that our friends and family members are safe,” she added.
Bethany Adams said she was driving to her Pilates class after work when she noticed an ominous cloud in the sky.
“It looked like it could spout several tornadoes,” Ms. Adams said in an interview.
Louisville is home to UPS’s main air hub, which it calls Worldport. The company owns or operates 291 aircraft, according to a company filing. Last year, UPS on average delivered more than 22 million packages a day.
The Louisville airport said that its airfield was closed after an “aircraft incident” had occurred.
There have been at least three crashes, including two with fatalities, involving UPS planes since 2006. The most recent crash came in 2013, when a plane departing Louisville crashed short of the runway in Birmingham, Ala., killing its two pilots.
Peter Eavis and Bernard Mokam contributed reporting.
Rylee Kirk reports on breaking news, trending topics and major developing stories for The Times.
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