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First responders searched for more victims early Wednesday (November 5) after a UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded in a massive fireball. The incident happened at the company’s global aviation hub in Kentucky. Authorities said the incident killed at least nine people and created an inferno that consumed the whole plane.
“With the intense fire that was there, most of the things are gone,” Mark Little, chief of the Okolona Fire District in Louisville, said.
UPS Plane Crash At Kentucky Airport Kills At Least 9, Several Still Missing After Explosion (PHOTOS)
Plumes of smoke rise from the area of a UPS cargo plane crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
More Details About The UPS Cargo Plane Crash
The UPS cargo plane with three people aboard crashed about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday. It was departing for Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Video showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke.
Additionally, the crash had a ripple effect. It struck and caused more minor explosions at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
“Thankfully, a local restaurant that is right there … was missed and now is helping the search and rescue,” Gov. Beshear said. “Another blessing is this plane could have potentially hit the major Ford factory or the convention center, those are all close by, and did not.”
Based on videos of the crash, aviation attorney Pablo Rojas said the UPS plane appeared to be struggling to gain altitude as a fire blazed on its left side around one of its engines.
“Really, the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel,” he said.
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