UPS plane crashes near Louisville airport, killing at least 12; black boxes recovered Clutch Fire

At least 12 people were killed and more than a dozen others injured after a UPS plane crashed shortly after takeoff near the Louisville International Airport on Tuesday, officials said. The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation into the crash, and said Wednesday afternoon it has recovered the black boxes that record plane data.

The death toll rose several times Wednesday, with both Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg warning the number was expected to increase as several people remain unaccounted for. At least 14 people were believed to be missing as of Wednesday night, the governor’s office said. The plane was carrying three UPS crew members, identified by the company as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truit and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond — all of whom died in the crash.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our colleagues, and to the loved ones of those in the Louisville community,” Nando Cesarone, UPS executive vice president, U.S. and UPS Airlines, said in a statement Thursday.

Beshear said at a Wednesday afternoon news briefing there were “a handful of other people that we’re still searching for.” Beshear said it’s believed one of the victims is a young child.

“We do not expect to find anyone else alive,” he said.

Beshear declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. 

Greenberg said the Jefferson County Coroner has been at the scene and will make identifications. Beshear warned the condition of some of the remains could make identification difficult and might require testing that would take additional time.

Greenberg said the owner of an auto parts business, one of the businesses that was hit by the crash, is a friend of both his and Beshear’s. He said the man believes some of his employees and customers were killed.

Beshear wrote on Wednesday that 16 families have reported loved ones who are unaccounted for, although it was not clear if any of those were part of the increased death toll from throughout the day. Search and rescue operations had ended as of Wednesday afternoon and crews were instead working on recovery, he said. 

Health care system UofL Health told CBS News that it received 15 patients across its several hospitals and medical centers. Thirteen of those patients were discharged Wednesday morning, and two remain in critical condition in the intensive care unit at UofL Hospital, the network said. Beshear said Wednesday afternoon that their conditions had not changed as far as he knew.

UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time after it departed from the Louisville airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, when it went down three miles south of the airfield, Louisville airport public safety officer Jonathan Biven said at a news conference. 

According to preliminary flight data from FlightRadar24, the three-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane appeared to hit 175 feet in altitude briefly after takeoff. Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said the plane was carrying about 38,000 gallons of fuel, weighing about 233,000 pounds. That likely led to the significant fire as seen from CBS affiliate WLKY-TV’s chopper. The plane was also carrying up to 20,000 packages.  

Videos of the crash showed the aircraft partially on fire as it sped down the runway before it burst into flames. Other images suggest the plane’s left engine separated from the plane during the fire. Debris from the separation may have been sucked into another engine, meaning the plane could not generate sufficient lift to take off. 

Investigators from the NTSB and the FAA arrived at the scene Wednesday morning, the aviation agency said. There are 28 NTSB investigators on the ground, McGarvey said. McGarvey said that the ongoing government shutdown would have no impact on the investigation. 

NTSB board member J. Todd Inman confirmed that the plane’s left engine appeared to have separated from the plane. He said investigators have also identified the plane’s black boxes. He said the devices had “suffered some heat” but he felt “comfortable” that specialists “will be able to get a good readout of applicable data” once the boxes arrive at the NTSB’s Washington, D.C., laboratory. 

“While the fire may have been intense, it is built to withstand that,” Inman said. He noted that it would take at least several days for a readout to be made available. 

More than 200 first responders, including 100 firefighters, responded to the fiery crash site, Greenberg said. Dozens of emergency responders remained on the scene as of Wednesday afternoon, Okolona Fire Protection District Chief Mark Little said during the mayor’s briefing. 

“To be able to put out a blaze like that, and be able to stabilize a site this size from a giant airplane filled with aviation fuel, this quickly, get kids in school the next day, is pretty special,” Beshear said. 

The debris field is about half a mile long, Inman said Wednesday afternoon. Greenberg said that the intense flames burned away some of the debris, including parts of the plane. 

Two businesses were directly impacted, Beshear said Wednesday, including a petroleum recycling facility and the auto parts business. Greenberg said oil stored in the petroleum facility entered waterways, and there were vehicles and lots of scrap metal in the auto parts business, which had complicated search efforts. The plane crashed near a Ford facility but did not hit it, Beshear said.  

Beshear said there was no hazardous cargo onboard the plane that would create environmental issues around the crash site, but urged residents to follow any shelter-in-place orders. There is still a shelter-in-place order for those within a quarter-mile radius of the crash site, Greenberg said Wednesday morning. All schools in the Jefferson County School District, the state’s largest, with just under 100,000 students, were closed Wednesday, Greenberg said. Schools will reopen Thursday, Beshear said.

Greenberg said Wednesday afternoon that power is being returned to over 100 customers and that water is safe to drink unless residents have received a specific advisory from Louisville officials. Air quality is being monitored, Greenberg said. 

Greenberg urged any residents who find debris on their property not to touch it, and instead report it to authorities. Beshear noted Wednesday those who reported debris would likely be visited by the FBI so it could be retrieved. He also warned that residents should avoid flying drones over the crash site, warning that the devices could “get in the way of our recovery operations” and that operators risk prosecution and federal fines.

The airport was closed Tuesday following the crash but reopened on Wednesday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said, though multiple taxiways remain closed. 

Louisville International Airport is home to UPS Worldport, an international air hub for the parcel service. The 5.2 million-square-foot facility processes up to 400,000 packages an hour and employs 20,000 UPS workers. The facility sees more than 300 daily UPS flights, according to the company.

Package sorting operations at the facility were paused on Tuesday night and resumed Wednesday morning. UPS said Wednesday morning that sorting for the expedited shipping service Second Day Air was canceled for the day and that employees in that department should not report to work.  

Some UPS packages may be delayed because of halted operations. The investigation could also cause further operational delays, if officials need to inspect or review other planes, though UPS could charter additional planes to meet delivery needs. 

UPS Airlines planned to operate about 25 MD-11 planes by the end of the year, and is phrasing out the aging three-engine jets for newer and more fuel-efficient two-engine freighters. The crashed plane was built in 1991, according to FAA data. 

The Red Cross is providing assistance to the families of victims, McGarvey said. Beshear said that an emergency relief fund has been established to help those affected.