Overview
- The MD-11 operating UPS Flight 2976 veered off the runway during its takeoff roll around 5:13 p.m. local time and exploded after striking buildings and parked vehicles near the airfield.
- UPS said three pilots were aboard, and local police reported injuries without providing numbers or conditions.
- Authorities ordered residents within roughly 10 kilometers to shelter in place, and Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport was shut.
- Early video, radar data and on-scene findings indicate a possible engine fire, engine debris on the runway and a last recorded groundspeed of about 184 knots from Flightradar24.
- The aircraft was built in 1991 and converted to cargo in 2006, and a mayoral spokesperson said it had taken on a large fuel load before departure.