A cargo plane with three crew on board has crashed on take-off from the main airport in Louisville, Kentucky, with video showing widespread fire consuming buildings near the airport and smoke billowing into the sky.
The flight, UPS2976, was a wide-body McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, according to FlightRadar24 records. Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville is a major hub for UPS.
The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash occurred on take-off about 5.15pm on Tuesday (9.15am AEDT) and would be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Bureau.
UPS said three crew members were on board. “At this time, we have not confirmed any injuries/casualties,” it said. “UPS will release more facts as they become available.”
The Louisville Metro Police Department said it was responding to the crash along with multiple other agencies, and that injuries had been reported. The crash occurred near Fern Valley and Grade Lane, it said. Both roads border the southern end of the airfield.
One video posted to social media, purporting to depict the crash, showed a plane attempting to take-off with a visible ball of fire on its left-wing before it crashed.
More to come
