Updated: 9:40 p.m.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday evening there were at least three confirmed deaths and 11 injuries from a United Parcel Service cargo plane crash near the Louisville airport hours earlier.
The crash occurred at approximately 5:14 p.m as a cargo plane was departing for Honolulu. The plane was an MD-11, a large airliner used by shipping companies including UPS and FedEx. It contained 220,000 pounds of jet fuel, Beshear said.
Huge plumes of black smoke filled the air over Louisville after the crash, which were visible for miles. There remains a shelter in place for those near the crash site just south of the airport and for the area north of the airport all the way to the Ohio River. Muhammad Ali International Airport is closing until 7 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
While there was no hazardous cargo on board the UPS plane, Beshear said the plane hit Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, a business just beyond the runway, “pretty directly.”
“I can confirm that there was no specifically hazardous cargo on board the plane that would create an environmental issue for those around the site, but the impact and where it impacted could create those types of situations,” Beshear said. “So please, if there is a shelter in place, follow it.”
Beshear said the three confirmed fatalities did not involve the three-person crew, whose status remained unaccounted for. He added that first responders treated at least 11 people around the crash site for injuries, with some very significant and requiring hospitalization.
Police nearby the UPS plane crash in Louisville shortly after dusk on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
In addition to Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, Beshear said the plane crash also impacted Grade A Auto Parts, who had accounted for all but two employees.
The governor said close to two dozen agencies and departments were on the scene of the crash dealing with the fire and rescue operations.
“We have virtually every single fire, police and emergency response group that is responding right now to what you're seeing at this time,” Beshear said.
“Let's make sure before anything else, we put the families of those that are lost, the families of those that we're worried about, first. They deserve it. Make sure we pray for them and we support them with everything we have.”
Beshear said he would not speculate about the cause of the plane crash, as he would leave that to the National Transportation Safety Board that is in charge of that ongoing investigation.
According to UPS, WorldPort is the largest fully automated package handling facility in the world, stretching 5.2 million square feet. It serves more than 300 inbound and outbound flights daily, processing about two million packages per day. The company says WorldPort employs 20,000 workers, who sort more than 400,000 packages per hour.
University of Louisville Health said it received 10 patients from the crash site, including two who were in critical condition and being treated at UofL Hospital’s burn center. The other eight patients were described as having non-life-threatening injuries.
This is a breaking story and will be updated with additional details.
