A UPS cargo plane with three people on board crashed shortly after takeoff near the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday evening, the Louisville police said.
A plume of black smoke billowed from the site of the crash as multiple emergency agencies, along with Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, rushed to the scene to assess the damage.
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.
“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 thick plumes of 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.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for a large swath of the city, from a highway south of the airport, known as the Outer Loop, to the Ohio River, the police said.
Mr. Beshear, who was traveling to the site of the crash, said on social media: “The situation is serious. Please pray for the families affected.”
The neighborhood where the crash occurred, about 10 miles south of downtown, 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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