Terrifying video shows the moment a massive UPS plane exploded as it took off from a Louisville, Kentucky airport on Tuesday, leaving multiple people injured and sending a massive plume of smoke spreading across the city as fires blazed for nearly a mile.
The MD-11 plane exploded around 5.15pm as it departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, heading toward Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the Federal Aviation Authority announced.
Video shared to social media showed the aircraft attempting to takeoff with a ball of fire emanating from its left wing. Just moments later, the plane exploded.
There were three crew members onboard the flight at the time, UPS officials have confirmed.
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It was fully fueled at the time due to the lengthy trip to Hawaii, sparking a massive fire that spread to nearby facilities and reportedly left at least 25 people trapped inside a building.
Following the explosion, locals reported hearing a loud explosion, with a MetroSafe supervisor telling WDRB the incident began with calls about an explosion, and Louisville Metro Police spokesman Matt Sanders saying the department received 20 calls for service.
Louisville Metro Police have since announced on social media that several agencies are responding to the scene south of the airport, while residents shared photos of smoke filling the sky.
Authorities said it remains an active scene with ‘smoke and debris,’ as they issued a shelter-in-place order for a five mile radius around the airport, which was later expanded north of the airport.
‘Please remain away from the area until further notice,’ the police department urged.
Video shared to social media showed a ball of fire emanating from the center of the plane just moments after it departed the runway on Tuesday
The explosion caused a fire to spread out for nearly a mile in Louisville
The crash involved a UPS MD-11 plane with three crew members onboard
The airport is now also closed and those with scheduled flights on Wednesday are urged to check their flight status as travel chaos continues nationwide.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
In the meantime, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he has been notified about the tragic incident and is en route to Louisville.
‘Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected,’ he urged on social media.
The explosion came just hours after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats are making air travel unsafe by forcing air traffic controllers to go without pay through the longest government shutdown in US history.
She urged just five Democrats in the Senate to join Republicans in voting for a ‘clean continuing resolution’ to extend funding for the government and make sure that Americans who control plane movements at US airports are paid going into the busiest travel season of the year.
This week, federal workers with control centers are set to miss their second paycheck since the start of the shutdown.
But travelers at three major US airports were already facing hours-long delays on Tuesday as staffing shortages worsen on the 35th day of the shutdown.
According to multiple flight alerts, the Houston and Phoenix air traffic centers implemented Ground Delay Programs, effectively slowing the rate of arrivals to prevent overload in the control system.
Authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order around the international airport
Multiple people were injured when a plane crashed near a Kentucky airport on Tuesday, sending a massive plume of smoke across the city
Authorities said it remains an active scene with ‘smoke and debris’
The FAA said the delays are primarily due to ‘staffing’ shortages, with some flights facing up to nearly three-hour waits before takeoff or landing clearance.
At Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the FAA set the arrival rate at just 40 flights per hour, compared to typical peak rates closer to 70.
The advisory lists average delays of 40 minutes and maximums topping one hour and 40 minutes, stretching across all major departure zones in the US.
At nearby William P Hobby Airport (HOU), the situation is even worse, with the FAA limiting arrivals to only 16 flights per hour and maximum delays nearing three hours.
The restrictions apply to flights departing from every major regional control center in the contiguous US, meaning ripple effects could extend far beyond Texas.
In Phoenix, controllers at Sky Harbor International Airport are also slowing incoming flights.
The FAA set a rate of 40 arrivals per hour, citing the same staffing shortage. Average delays are hovering around 45 minutes, with some flights waiting over an hour and a half to land.
The programs are in place through the early hours of Wednesday morning, potentially affecting hundreds of flights nationwide.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
