🚨 A UPS wide-body cargo plane (Flight 2976) went down in a massive fireball just after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening. The tragic crash claimed all three crew members and at least four people on the ground, with 11 others hurt.
🔥 Footage shows flames on one wing as the triple-engine plane lifted off and then exploded into fire on impact. Debris scattered across two runways and ignited multiple fires in a nearby industrial corridor, forcing the airport to halt operations through the night.
✈️ The Boeing 747 was fueled for an 8.5-hour flight to Honolulu and carried a crew of three. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time and that no one aboard survived.
⚙️ Investigators are zeroing in on why one engine separated before the crash. U.S. air safety expert John Cox noted that a three-engine aircraft should remain airborne even if one engine fails, raising questions about what went wrong.
🏙️ Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg reported fires still burning near the airport late into the night and a shelter-in-place order for everyone within five miles. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the death toll may rise and some survivors are in critical condition.
💡 This tragedy unfolded amid one of the longest U.S. government shutdowns in history, which had already put air traffic control under strain. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had warned of "mass chaos" from understaffed towers before the crash.
🙏 Our thoughts are with the victims, first responders, and the Louisville community as they navigate the aftermath. Investigators will work to uncover how this rare disaster could occur and how to keep our skies safer in the future.
Reference(s):
At least seven killed after UPS cargo plane crashes in Kentucky, U.S.
cgtn.com
