LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Teams of investigators arrived in Louisville, Kentucky, on Wednesday to try to determine what caused the crash of a UPS cargo plane. At least 12 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of the fiery crash, and investigators have recovered the aircraft’s black box and hope to find answers.
The crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport destroyed businesses and other structures in the area.
Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane was seen on airport security video leaving the runway with a large plume of smoke coming from the aircraft’s left engine.
The plane lifted off the ground and cleared the airport before crashing into two businesses. Inman said the fire erupted shortly after the plane crashed.
The plane’s engine was still sitting on the airport runway, Inman added. He said that was consistent with video footage.
Inman said the NTSB has recovered the plane’s black box, which contains the cockpit’s voice recorder and crucial flight data that could help investigators.
“We will not be determining the probable cause or speculating while on the scene,” Inman said during a news conference.
Inman added that the black boxes suffered from heat but “did not sustain intrusion” from the crash and the subsequent fire.
The NTSB will know more about what the black boxes contain once they are transported back to Washington, D.C., Inman said.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced on X that the death toll had risen to 12.
“Please take a moment to hug your loved ones and check on your neighbors,” Greenberg tweeted.
The mayor added during a news conference that the fatalities included the three crew members on board the UPS plane.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear predicted the death toll would rise. The governor said authorities were searching for a “handful of other people,” but prospects were bleak.
“We do not expect to find anyone else alive,” he said during a news conference.
Mark Little, chief of the Okolona Fire District in Louisville, said debris would have to be moved and searched, adding: “It will take us quite a while.”
According to University of Louisville Hospital, two people were in critical condition in the burn unit. Eighteen people were treated and discharged from that hospital or other medical centers.
Residents were stunned by the crash.
“I thought it was crazy because I didn’t know what was happening. I thought something was on fire, like a building or a plant or something,” Victor Rodriguez, who took video of the fire just seconds after the plane crashed, told WDRB.
Rodriguez said he had “no clue it was a plane crash” and was surprised that it was a UPS jet.
“I didn’t think that could happen,” he told the television station.
“I didn’t know if we were getting attacked. I didn’t know what was going on,” Summer Dickerson, who works nearby, told The Associated Press.
Stooges Bar and Grill bartender Kyla Kenady said lights suddenly flickered in the business as she was serving beer to a customer on the patio.
“I saw a plane in the sky coming down over top of our volleyball courts in flames,” she told the AP. “In that moment, I panicked. I turned around, ran through the bar screaming, telling everyone that a plane was crashing.”
Tuesday’s crash was the deadliest for UPS Airlines since it was formed in 1988. The airline has had two previous plane crashes, with each resulting in two fatalities.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft crashed at about 5:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday as it was taking off from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The plane’s destination was Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
Because of the long trip, the plane was carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel. The aircraft exploded in a fireball, and the blaze spread to nearby facilities. That included the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling plant, which took a direct hit, officials said. The Grade A Auto Parts store was also affected, Beshear said.
Video taken at the scene showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane had lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding.
The fires from the crash were extinguished by 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
The Worldport facility is the primary hub for UPS. Approximately 300 flights arrive and depart at the facility every day.