UPS plane explodes during takeoff at Kentucky airport, leaving massive plume of smoke and multiple injured
A massive UPS plane exploded while taking off from Kentucky on Tuesday evening, injuring scores of people and sending a massive cloud of smoke across the city as fires burned for nearly a mile.
MD-11 plane exploded during takeoff at around 17.15. louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is heading towards Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, The Federal Aviation Authority announced.
In the video shared on social media, a fireball was seen emerging from the middle of the plane a few minutes after it left the runway.
UPS officials confirmed there were three crew members on board at the time.
Locals later reported that a loud explosion was heard throughout Louisville and the MetroSafe supervisor said so. WDRB The incident began with calls about an explosion, and Louisville Metro Police spokesman Matt Sanders said the department received 20 calls for service.
Louisville Metro Police have since announced on social media that multiple agencies responded to the scene south of the airport after residents shared photos of smoke filling the sky.
Authorities said the area remained an active area with ‘smoke and debris’ as they issued a shelter-in-place order in a five-mile radius around the airport, which will later be expanded to the north of the airport.
The police department urged: ‘Please stay away from the area until further notice.’
Video shared on social media showed a fireball emerging from the middle of the plane moments after it left the runway on Tuesday.
Explosion caused fire to spread nearly a mile in Louisville
The accident involved a UPS MD-11 aircraft with three crew members on board.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he was informed about the tragic incident.
“Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected,” he appealed on social media.
The outburst came just hours after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats were making air travel unsafe by forcing air traffic controllers to work without pay because of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
He called on the only five Democrats in the Senate to join Republicans in voting for a ‘clean continuing resolution’ to fund the government and ensure that Americans who control aircraft movements at US airports are paid during the busiest travel season of the year.
This week, federal workers with control centers will miss their second paycheck since the start of the shutdown.
But passengers at three major US airports were already facing hours-long delays on Tuesday as staffing shortages worsened on the 35th day of the closure.
According to multiple flight alerts, Houston and Phoenix air traffic centers implemented Ground Delay Programs, effectively slowing the arrival rate to prevent overload on the control system.
Authorities issue shelter order around international airport
A plane crashed near a Kentucky airport on Tuesday, injuring scores of people and sending a huge cloud of smoke across the city.
Officials say the area remains an active area filled with ‘smoke and debris’
The FAA said the delays were mainly due to ‘staffing’ shortages, with some flights facing waits of nearly three hours before being cleared to take off or land.
The FAA set the arrival rate at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) at just 40 flights per hour; whereas typical peak rates were closer to 70.
The advisory lists delays averaging 40 minutes to a maximum of more than an hour and 40 minutes, spanning all major departure zones in the United States.
The situation is even worse at nearby William P Hobby Airport (HOU); The FAA limits arrivals to just 16 flights per hour, with maximum delays approaching three hours.
The restrictions apply to flights departing from all major regional control centers in the contiguous United States; That means the ripple effects could extend far beyond Texas.
In Phoenix, controllers at Sky Harbor International Airport are also slowing down incoming flights.
The FAA set a rate of 40 arrivals per hour, citing the same staffing shortage. Average delays hover around 45 minutes, with some flights waiting more than an hour and a half to land.
The schedules last until the early hours of Wednesday morning, potentially affecting hundreds of flights across the country.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
