The state governor said 12 people were killed when a UPS cargo plane crashed while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday evening, November 4.
Andy Beshear said the death toll from the explosion on the cargo plane is expected to rise and may include at least one child. The plane departed from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport at approximately 17:15 local time (22:15 GMT).
The National Transportation Safety Board reported that the left engine caught fire during the flight and fell off the wing, causing a massive fire and sending a thick plume of smoke into the air.
More than a dozen people were injured in the crash, including burns, shrapnel injuries, and smoke inhalation.
Officials stated that those who survived suffered “very serious” injuries. Crews are still searching for other victims, as several people are still missing.
Beshear said the plane’s three-member crew was among the dead.
A preliminary investigation is underway, but officials said it’s too early to say what caused the crash, although surveillance footage and data from the plane are helping to solve the case.
Todd Inman of the NTSB, the agency leading the investigation, said investigators have recovered the cockpit flight recorder and flight data recorder, known as the black box.
In an update on Wednesday, Inman said CCTV surveillance footage showed the plane’s left engine “separating from the wing during the takeoff roll.” The video has not been released yet.
He said the plane managed to lift off the ground and crossed a fence at the end of the runway before colliding with several businesses located around the airport.
Beshear declared a state of emergency on Wednesday so that “resources through Emergency Management and the Kentucky National Guard can be more quickly deployed.”
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the airport has reopened its runway so flights can resume.
According to Beshear, at least 16 different families have reported their loved ones missing.
Two employees at the auto business were unaccounted for as of Tuesday evening, and it’s not known how many customers were on the premises at the time of the accident.
UPS said in a statement that there were three crew members on board the plane, and added, “We have not confirmed any injuries/casualties.”
Local authorities said Wednesday they don’t know how many victims they are searching for, and that the fire has destroyed the plane and created a large debris field, making it challenging to find people.
Representative Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky said 28 NTSB personnel are at the scene and will “analyze every aspect of the incident.”
However, officials noted that the massive fire was caused by the amount of fuel on the plane, which was traveling approximately 4,300 miles (6,920 km) to Hawaii.
It was carrying 38,000 gallons (144,000 liters) of fuel when it crashed.
McGarvey said it looked like it was “raining oil” over Louisville at the time of the crash.
The explosion engulfed at least two nearby businesses, including a petroleum recycling company. A shelter-in-place order was initially issued within a five-mile radius of the airport due to fears of further explosions and air pollution, but it was later reduced to just one mile.
The airport said in a statement that all flights for Tuesday evening have been canceled.
Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill said the amount of fuel at the crash site made it a “very dangerous situation.”
The shelter-in-place order was reduced to a one-mile radius on Tuesday night as crews worked to contain the fire.
