A UPS plane crashed near Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday evening, killing at least three people and injuring at least 11, according to state officials.
In a press conference on Tuesday evening from Louisville, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called the crash “catastrophic.”
“Anybody who has seen the images and the video knows how violent this crash is,” Beshear said, warning injury and casualty counts are likely to climb. “There are a lot of families that are going to be waiting for information for a period of time.”
Beshear added that officials have been unable to confirm the fate of the three crew members onboard the plane, but he was “very, very worried” for them.
Emergency responders from multiple agencies are responding to the crash, and federal officials are slated to investigate its cause once the fire is contained.
Police described the site of the crash near Fern Valley and Grade Lane as an “active scene with fire and debris.”
The UPS MD-11 aircraft crashed around 5.15pm local time shortly after the plane departed the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Honolulu-bound plane had three crew members onboard, according to UPS.
“At this time, we have not confirmed any injuries/casualties,” the company wrote in a statement.
The Louisville airport is a major hub for the company.
Aerial video of the crash site shared by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation shows a raging fire and an industrial-looking building with damage to its roof.
The plane was carrying about 38,000 pounds of fuel at the time of the crash, according to state officials.
The cargo jet did not have any specifically hazardous materials onboard.
The jet reached an altitude of about 175 feet and then began to fall sharply, according to flight data tracker Flightradar24.
The crash damaged at least two business, including Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, which Beshear said was hit “directly,” and Grade A Auto Parts, all of whose employees except two people have been accounted for.
A nearby Ford plant was not impacted, Beshear said, calling the news a “blessing” given the number of employees inside at the time.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
The airfield has temporarily been closed as the situation develops, according to officials there.
Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill said the crash site was the size of a city block.
The public is urged to stay away from the site of the crash, and a shelter-in-place order remains in effect for those within a mile of the wreck.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy called the crash “heartbreaking” in a post on social media.
“Please join me in prayer for the Louisville community and flight crew impacted by this horrific crash,” he wrote on X.
The crash comes at a time of intense strain on the U.S. air transit system during the ongoing government shutdown.
Air traffic controllers have been forced to work without pay, and staffing shortages have caused delays at airports around the country.
