UPS plane crash video shows plume of smoke rising, scattered debris as cargo jet bursts into flames moments after take off; watch here

A large UPS cargo plane with three people aboard crashed and exploded Tuesday while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, igniting a massive fire that left a thick plume of black smoke over the area. At least three people are dead and 11 are injured in the crash, Governor Andy Beshear said at a news conference Tuesday, CNN reported. The governor indicated the number of dead and wounded is preliminary and may increase.

The crash took place about 5:15 p.m. as it was departing for Honolulu from Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said. “We know that there are injuries. We don’t know yet about fatalities, but we’re asking all Kentuckians to pray for those that have been impacted," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told The Associated Press.

Videos of the crash surface on social media

Multiple videos of the crash have surfaced on social media platforms showing massive flames and plumes of smoke along with scattered debris. In a horrifying video shared on X, confirmed by BNO News, and captured in security cameras nearby, the plane was seen blowing up in flames, and there are shipping containers or trucks.

A video shared on social media was also shared by CNN, showing the widebody jet involved in the crash struggling to take off as flames spew from what appears to be the left engine under the left wing of the MD-11F, which has three engines.




The video was taken from a distance, and a fireball can be seen shortly after takeoff. Earlier, a helicopter video from local Louisville CNN affiliates showed flames in an auto recycling yard and semi truck lot. Structures and vehicles in the area appeared to be on fire, according to the video shared by CNN affiliate WLKY.

ALSO READ: UPS Plane Crash: Witnesses see debris fall from sky, black cloud all over the area after the crash which killed 3, injured 11 in Kentucky; where was the plane heading; here’s what we know so far


UPS’s largest package handling facility is in Louisville. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights, and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.

A shelter-in-place order was extended to all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River. The Louisville airport is only a 10-minute drive from the city’s downtown, which sits on the river bordering the Indiana state line. There are residential areas, a water park, and museums in the area. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airplane owned by UPS was manufactured in 1991.