Death Toll Rises After UPS Plane Crashes, Bursts Into Flames Following Takeoff in Louisville

Kentucky has declared a state of emergency after a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after taking off from Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, November 4.

“The FBI and other federal, state and local agencies often are partners to the NTSB on scene, collecting evidence, taking photographs, mapping and measuring the wreckage field and generally serving as a force multiplier for the NTSB go team,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in a post the following day.

The death toll continues to rise as nine have been confirmed dead as of publication. According to CNN, University of Louisville Health received 15 patients after the crash. Two remain in the ICU while 13 have since been released, the hospital confirmed.

“We have identified the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder … As you can imagine, it’s suffered some heat, not intrusion, but heat around it,” National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said during a news conference Wednesday. “These recorders are built for that.”

The 34-year-old MD-11 cargo plane – which was destined for Honolulu – reportedly caught fire around 5:13 p.m. local time Tuesday evening. Three crewmembers were on board, all of whom have been confirmed dead, according to Reuters.

“It’s hard to lose nine plus people and consider yourself lucky,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said. “And I don’t think we’re lucky but it could have been much worse.”