Four 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 by the plane, 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 billowing cloud of black smoke rose 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 taking off at 5:14 p.m., the governor said.
Two businesses were directly hit by the plane: a waste company and an auto parts store. Mr. Beshear said two employees at the 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 waste company 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. The company, which was previously called Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, is now run by GFL Environmental.
Mr. Beshear expressed relief that the nearby Ford Motor plant, which employs about 3,000 people, was not hit by the plane. “With the number of employees working there, it’s a blessing,” Mr. Beshear said.
Mr. Beshear said no hazardous materials were ignited by the crash, but a shelter-in-place order was issued for a mile around the site.
While the fire has not been contained, firefighters have made “some headway,” said Edward “Jody” Meiman, the executive director for Louisville Metro Emergency Services.
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.
Only a few travelers waited for rides at Muhammad Ali airport later Tuesday night as a row of police cruisers lined the curb.
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.
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.
“This strongly affects my district and it is a tragedy,” said Ms. Ruhe, whose cousin works at UPS. “We all know somebody who works at UPS and they’re all texting their friends, their family, to make sure they’re safe. Sadly, some of those texts are going to go unanswered.”
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.
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.
Pooja Salhotra, 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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