by Liam Niemeyer, Kentucky Lantern
November 4, 2025
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at least three people have died after a United Parcel Service plane crashed after taking off from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, creating a large blaze and sending a plume of dark smoke into the air.
Beshear said during a Tuesday evening press conference alongside local elected officials and Louisville’s fire and police chiefs that he expected the number of fatalities to rise and urged Kentuckians to pray for affected families. He also said there were at least 11 injuries, with those significantly injured being treated at local hospitals.
“The toughest moments — and I can say it from personal experience — are when you’re wondering whether that person that you know and you care about has survived something like this,” Beshear said.
The Federal Aviation Administration on social media wrote that UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. EST after departing from the airport. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, was headed to Honolulu. The federal agency said it would investigate the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board, which would be leading the investigation.
Beshear said the “main area hit” primarily included two businesses, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts. The governor said Grade A Auto Parts, which sells auto parts from used cars, had located all but two employees yet couldn’t account for other customers potentially on site.
Beshear said the status of the three crew members on board the plane is not known. He said the plane had approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel when it took off.
The airport is home to the UPS Worldport, the shipping company’s largest package handling facility and delivery hub that employs tens of thousands of people.
Betsy Ruhe, a Louisville Metro Council member whose district includes the airport, mentioned how many people UPS employs in Kentucky’s largest city including her family and friends.
“We all know somebody who works at UPS, and they’re all texting their family trying to make sure everyone is safe,” Ruhe said. “My heart goes out to those family and those friends.”
Louisville emergency responders urged residents north of the airport to follow a shelter-in-place order due to hazardous smoke from the fire created by the crash.
This story may be updated.
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