Here is what is currently known about the UPS Airlines cargo plane that crashed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport today, November 4, 2025:
- The incident happened on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, just after take-off from Louisville, at around 5:15 p.m. local time.
- The aircraft was a wide-body freighter — specifically a McDonnell Douglas MD‑11 — operating as Flight 2976, destined for Honolulu.
- Three crew members were on board at the time of the crash.
- Dramatic video footage shows the plane with flames on its left wing/engine during the take-off roll, then briefly lifting off, then crashing and exploding in a large fireball.
- Injuries have been reported, though no official casualty count or confirmation of fatalities has been disclosed yet.
- Because the airport is home to UPS’s major cargo hub (“Worldport”), the crash may have broader implications for shipments and logistics.
- Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order in the surrounding area (within five miles of the airport, and extending north to the Ohio River) due to fire, smoke, hazardous fuel, and debris.
- Investigations are underway: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are involved.
UPDATE 9:02 pm ET 11/04/2025: Kentucky Governor's office reports 3-deaths and 11-injured associated with UPS plane crash.
The Girards Law Firm specializes in severe injury and wrongful death cases, especially those that involve birth injuries, brain damage, heart damage, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, commercial plane crashes and commercial trucking crashes nationwide, and especially in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. James E. Girards is a private pilot licensed to fly single- and multi-engine aircraft in both visual and instrument conditions. Contact us at www.girardslaw.com by using the chat feature for more information.