UPS plane crash kills 3 in Louisville, fatality and injury numbers expected to grow

(NEXSTAR) – A UPS plane with three crew members aboard crashed in Louisville, Kentucky shortly after takeoff Tuesday evening, causing an extensive fire and taking the lives of at least three people, officials confirmed.

Gov. Andy Beshear said at least 11 people were injured and some had "very significant injuries." He said he believed the number of fatalities and injuries would "get larger" as the investigation continued.

The crash happened around 5:15 p.m., shortly after UPS Flight 2976 took off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), an FAA spokesperson told Nexstar. The flight was bound for Honolulu. Photos from the scene showed towering flames and a cloud of black smoke extending skyward.

Beshear said at least two businesses were hit: Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts. All employees but two at the auto shop were accounted for, the governor said, but they were not sure how many customers were there at the time.

Airport officials announced that all arriving and departing flights were temporarily suspended and the airfield was closed.

The Louisville Metro Police Dept. announced that a shelter-in-place was issued for "all locations within 5 miles of the airport" after reports of the plane crash.

"This is an active scene with fire and debris," the department said on X. "Stay away."

Aerial video shot by local news station WLKY showed a large swath of buildings ablaze, with lights from emergency vehicles stretching for blocks.

It's not yet clear what caused the cargo plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, to crash. The long-range aircraft model was first created in 1991, according to the Delta Flight Museum.

Officials urged passengers scheduled to fly into or out of SDF to monitor their flight status with the airline's website or mobile app.

The NTSB is leading the investigation into the "catastrophic crash," Beshear said.

This is a developing story.