Investigators Recover Black Box from Site of UPS Plane Crash
At least 11 people are dead after a UPS cargo plane crashed after taking off from the Louisville, Kentucky, airport on Tuesday evening. Investigators have recovered the plane's black box recorder as they search for answers. Here is the latest on this tragic situation.
Death Toll Climbing in Kentucky UPS Plane Crash
Local officials in Kentucky are warning that the death toll attributed to Tuesday's fiery plane crash may continue to rise in the days ahead as crews search through the rubble on the ground. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency, mobilizing the National Guard to provide assistance. The plane crash left behind a debris field of half of a mile.
Beshear said that remnants of what was on the ground where the plane crashed are "completely burnt and blackened." Officials are unsure about the resulting death toll on the ground. There are still people who have not been accounted for, according to Beshear. The governor also said that at least one of the fatalities is believed to be a child.
During Wednesday's press conference, Beshear also noted that his response staff is now prioritizing the safety of the first responders. They are not expected to find any more survivors at the wreckage site. The latest report details that three of the deaths were people on the plane, and eight people were killed on the ground.
University of Louisville Health confirmed that it received 15 patients across several local hospitals and medical centers after the crash. Two of these patients were still listed in intensive care, while 13 more people have been discharged.
Passenger flights in and out of the airport resumed on Wednesday on a limited basis. The airport said that there are still significant disruptions due to the backlog of delayed flights from Tuesday. Compounding the delays is that only one runway is in operation at this time.
Latest Details on the Investigation Into the Crash
The FBI is on the ground in Louisville, providing assistance to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it tries to determine a cause in the deadly crash. It is not unusual for the FBI to partner with other state and local agencies in collecting evidence and taking pictures
Investigators believe that debris from the crash may have landed in nearby business lots and yards. The NTSB is asking the public to contact them if they find debris on their property.
The NTSB said that it has airport surveillance video footage that demonstrates that the plane's left engine detached shortly after takeoff. That video has not been released to the public.
Other pieces of video footage show flames coming from the left wing of the MD-11F jet as it struggled to gain and maintain altitude. A photo of the crash scene shows one engine on the ground located away from the primary debris field. The distance of the engine from the aircraft indicates that it likely separated before the plane made impact and burst into flames.
Recent maintenance records indicate that the aircraft that went down just underwent heavy maintenance in October.
Other Impacts Surrounding the Crash
All Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) are scheduled to reopen on Thursday. The schools had been closed on Wednesday after a shelter-in-place order was put in place following the crash. JCPS posted on X on Wednesday afternoon, detailing that crews had determined that water and air quality readings at the schools came back normal.
Beshear's office said that it has ordered that all state office buildings in Kentucky fly flags at half-staff in honor of the victims of the crash. The flags will be lowered through the end of the weekend.
A service alert from UPS said that its customers should be prepared for delayed packages as a result of the crash. The airport is known as UPS Worldport, the shipping giant's primary U.S. hub. The 5-million-square-foot sorting facility is located at the southern end of the airport between the two runways. UPS is advising customers to go online to track their packages. They did not indicate how many shipments have been impacted by the disruption to service.
Two businesses near the airport were directly impacted by the crash. Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts were both left engulfed in flames. Beshear said that other small businesses were fully or partially destroyed as a result of the incident.
The nearby Stooges Bar and Grill barely escaped the damage. The governor said that the restaurant is now serving as a place for the search and recovery crew to gather and use their facilities.
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