Authorities confirmed that at least seven people were killed and eleven others injured in the devastating incident.
The aircraft — a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 built in 1991 — was departing for Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport around 5:15 p.m. when disaster struck.
Eyewitness and video footage captured harrowing moments before the crash: flames appeared on the plane’s left wing, followed by a thick trail of smoke as it struggled to gain altitude. The jet briefly lifted off the runway before plunging back down and exploding into a towering inferno. Nearby buildings suffered damage, including a shredded roof near the end of the runway.
By Tuesday night, officials confirmed seven fatalities, with four of the victims on the ground rather than aboard the plane. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warned that the death toll could rise further as rescue teams continued to sift through the wreckage.
Anybody who has seen the images, the video, knows how violent this crash is, Beshear said, describing the scene as catastrophic. Eleven people sustained injuries — several of them described as very significant.
As of late Tuesday, authorities were still working to determine the fate of the three crew members who had been on board.
