UPDATE: Multiple Fatalities Confirmed From Horrific UPS Plane Crash, At Least 9

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At least nine people have died after a UPS plane violently crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

BREAKING: Shelter-In-Place Issued After Cargo Plane Goes Down In Fiery Crash Near Airport

“Kentucky, more heartbreaking news out of Louisville. The number of those lost has now risen to at least 9, with the possibility of more. Right now these families need prayers, love and support. Let’s wrap our arms around them during this unimaginable time,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.

NBC News shared:

In a Wednesday morning statement, a spokesperson for Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg was unable to confirm how many people died on the plane and how many died on the ground. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had three crew members on board, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Heather Fountaine, a spokesperson for the University of Louisville Health, said in a statement that it received 15 patients from the crash across several hospitals.

“As of this morning, 13 of those patients have been discharged,” the statement added. “Two patients remain in critical condition in the ICU at UofL Health — UofL Hospital.”

Beshear added that 16 different families have reported loved ones who are unaccounted for.

Video from the crash shows a large fireball and smoke plume erupting from the crash site. The plane had around 38,000 gallons of fuel on board, according to officials.

At the press conference, Beshear thanked the approximately 200 law enforcement officers, including 18 fire departments, who responded quickly to the crash, which he said turned into a “blazing inferno.”

“First responders are on the scene now that it’s daylight again. The coroner has been working through the night and is there,” Greenberg said, according to Breaking Aviation News & Videos.

“The Federal Aviation Administration also removed a Notice to Airmen advisory for pilots, and the temporary restricted airspace around the airport has expired,” the aviation news page added.

Footage circulating online shows the horrific destruction caused by the explosion [EXPLICIT LANGUAGE]:

“Kentucky @GovAndyBeshear (D) declares a state of emergency after a UPS plane crashed near Louisville, killing at least nine people. He warns residents nearby to the crash site to not consume tap water but advised the air was safe to breath,” CSPAN noted:

More from the Associated Press:

Based on videos of the crash, aviation attorney Pablo Rojas said the aircraft appeared to be struggling to gain altitude as a fire blazed on its left side around one of its engines.

“Really, the plane itself is almost acting like a bomb because of the amount of fuel,” he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team of investigators.

Flight records show the plane was on the ground in San Antonio from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18. Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator, said it’s too early to know whether the problem was in the engine, the structure that holds the engine, or something else.

“This airplane apparently did undergo heavy maintenance within the past month, and investigators will need to comb through the maintenance records to see exactly what was done,” he said.

The airport resumed operations Wednesday morning, with at least one runway open. A public school district in Louisville canceled classes for the day.



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