UPS plane explodes during takeoff at Louisville airport, leaving four dead and 11 injured

Daily Mail UK ^ | November 4, 2025 | Melissa Koenig

[Morgana]

Four people were killed and eleven people were injured when a large UPS plane exploded as it took off from a Louisville, Kentucky airport on Tuesday.

The MD-11 plane exploded around 5.15pm as it departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, heading toward Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the Federal Aviation Authority announced.

Terrifying video shared to social media showed the aircraft attempting to takeoff with a ball of fire emanating from its left wing. Just moments later, the plane exploded.

Dashcam footage also showed the plane crashing back into the runway, leaving a blaze in its wake.

It struck two local businesses - Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Autoparts, which Governor Andy Beshear said accounted for all of its employees except for two.

There were three crew members onboard the flight at the time, UPS officials have confirmed. But it is unclear whether the fatalities were members of the crew.

'From the videos I've seen, I'm very concerned for them, but I'm still praying,' Beshear said at a news conference Tuesday night.

It was also fueled with 38,000 gallons at the time, due to the lengthy trip to Hawaii - sparking a massive fire that spread to cover five miles.

At least two victims remained in critical condition Tuesday night as the governor warned the number of fatalities and injuries 'is going to get larger.'

Meanwhile, locals reported hearing a loud explosion as the businesses were struck, with Louisville Metro Police spokesman Matt Sanders telling WDRB the department received 20 calls for service.

---

TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS:

[Revel]

No one is wondering who the 4th person is ?

[anton]

I’ve seen a lot of engine fire videos and this didn’t look like a normal engine fire. There really isn’t anything very exciting about an engine fire. They just shut the engine down and fly on one which is always possible in a part 121 aircraft.

[volare737]

Agreed. This fire looked different—with the fire appearing in front of the engine, not the back.

[Bigbrown]

I used to fly the MD – 11 for UPS, I have about 10,000 hours in that jet. I absolutely love it and it was absolutely the most beautiful wide body I’ve ever flown. Now I fly the 747 which I absolutely hate, a pig compared to the MD. I’m certain I know the captain involved., I’ve not been allowed to watch any of the video. My wife knows better than to let me do that. I do not need to know details, I can just say that that plane is not forgiving, it takes a real pilot to fly. I’ve always said that you don’t have to be an above average pilot to fly the MD – 11 but you certainly better be average! My thoughts and prayers to the families.

[Bigbrown]

If I have an engine fire on takeoff it is a nuisance, not a complete emergency if handled correctly. The engine is still providing thrust so no need to shut it down. This is curious to me.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

It looked like a fuel line might have come loose and raw fuel was feeding the fire.

[matt04]

I’m assuming someone on the ground, probably hit by debris. IMHO, anyone unlucky enough to be trapped by the fire is probably not discovered yet.

[blackdog]

TWA 800?

An aircraft engine has incredibly sophisticated engine status displays, showing and announcing anomalies in the engine. And it has operating software that is constantly adjusting inputs and outputs. They just don't go "boom, I'm a complete structural fireball"

This will be one very important set of cockpit recorders, tower recordings, maintenance logs, cargo manifest, and algorithms to monitor and filter unsavory group chatter using the internet that do very bad things.

[ncfool]

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane that crashed tonight in Louisville, Kentucky, was 34 years old. The aircraft, which was a UPS freighter, was manufactured in 1991

[Fledermaus]

Later the premise for the Final Destination franchise.

[blackdog]

It won't. Excessive fuel flow will prompt engine shutdown alarms. I think the #2 @ Takeoff should have been a pretty good witness, both at the runway, taxiways, The #2 would typically been on the active threshold holding in position waiting for takeoff clearance, staring at the departing plane from a rear position view.

The cargo manifest may prove to be informative. There may have been something that caught fire in the cargo hold and that spread to the wing root and one of several fuel bladder tanks. (That are self sealing by the way)

[webheart]

And also for those affected.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Interesting. Thanks for your analysis. It didn't seem like an engine fire exactly. It seemed like a fire around the engine.

[Mat_Helm]

Engine #1 was worked on and or repaired during turnaround prior to departing Kentucky. On the takeoff roll the left engine #1 had a catastrophic failure. The engine fell off the aircraft and the fan section and main engine came off in two separate pieces. The left wing was on fire and either debris or fire fumes ingestion caused the tail section #2 engine to stall and or fail on V2 rotation. Video shows the #2 engine flame out or compressor stall. The flight crew had one engine only with too much fuel and cargo weight to keep the MD11 airborne. A terrible tragedy. God bless the flight crew and their families.

[blackdog]

Yes. I think it was an engine that found itself in the middle of a structural fire that was cooking inside the wing root and engine pylon. The moment the engine spooled up to max thrust all that oxygen (air) fueled the flames, and then the fuel bladder burned thru. A fire requires three things. Remove any one of the three and the fire goes out.

#1) Fuel.

#2 Oxygen.

#3 Heat.

[TonyM]

Was the pilot female?

[Celtic Conservative]

FOD- Foreign Object Damage.

CC

[anton]

I’m not buying the engine fire thing at all. A relative ran the test cell at GE in Adams County Ohio and they shot everything from frozen geese to RPG’s into those engines and all they did was shut them down and activate fire suppression.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

According to the evenings news reports, the number 1 engine detached from its pylon.
As it detached it tore fuel lines. Most of the fuel was spraying outside the engine.

Investigators are looking into the crash of AA Flight 91 (a DC-10, basically a MD-11):

On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10,
crashed shortly after takeoff from Chicago O'Hare Airport, resulting in the deaths of
all 271 people on board and two individuals on the ground. The crash was caused by
the separation of the left engine due to improper maintenance, leading to a loss of
control during takeoff. — (Wikipedia)

The burned UPS MD-11 left engine was found by the side of the road, away from the
main debris field.

[anton]

It is also speculated that engine debris from the #1 engine caused a compressor stall on #3 engine.