Following the deaths of at least seven people in a fiery plane crash, authorities are working to determine how the catastrophe occurred, while harrowing accounts from those on the ground paint a grim picture of the victims’ final moments.
Louisville Plane Crash: Moment of Terror UPS Plane Crashes and Explodes
Three people died in a fireball after a cargo plane crashed on take-off, before a bigger disaster struck on the ground.
The large UPS cargo plane skidded off the runway and burst into flames, and eyewitnesses have described horrific scenes, with at least two businesses near Louisville International Airport engulfed in flames, including Grade A Autoparts and Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, which appear to have been “hit pretty directly” by the large UPS cargo plane.
At least seven people have died in total and more deaths are expected to follow. Gov. Andy Beshear warned that some of the injuries sustained are “very significant.” With an investigation underway, authorities have begun to reconstruct those terrible final moments before the catastrophe occurred.
READ MORE: Louisville plane crash UPS UPDATES with at least seven dead amid fireball horror
Unverified images show how UPS Flight 2976, which was carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel (about 144,000 liters), was already on fire when it skidded off the runway. Meanwhile, aviation lawyer Pablo Rojas has told how the aircraft appeared to be struggling to gain altitude when a fire ripped through its left side, near one of its engines.
Taking into account the large amount of fuel that the 34-year-old aircraft was carrying once the fire broke out in this position, Rojas has argued that it was only a matter of time before an explosion or rapid spread of the flames occurred. He explained: “Actually, the plane itself almost acts like a bomb because of the amount of fuel.”
Those on the ground have described scenes of horror, including Louisville local Justin Dunn, who told KKTV that debris will have fallen up to 10 miles from the impact zone.
Holding a piece of charred paper, Mr. Dunn shared, “It fell out of the sky when I was working on the car, and that’s when we found out about the accident. And then my son said, ‘Hey, look up in the sky,’ and it was falling out of the sky when he picked up the paper. There’s definitely debris all over here, probably within a 10-mile radius.”
Meanwhile, New Albany resident Katie Didit told CNN she was driving home from her job in Louisville when she heard the colossal explosion and initially thought there might be a large building on fire. She recalled: “I heard a sound similar to a [jake] “I pulled over on a semi, but I assumed there was a lot of traffic on Louisville up ahead,” Didit told CNN.
As dark smoke clouded his windshield, Didit recorded a video on his phone, recalling how the sky had turned “completely black” in the city center within 10 minutes of the footage being captured.
On Facebook, Kentucky Truck Parts & Service talked about how the plane crashed “just 500 feet away from our business,” with images taken by an employee capturing the heartbreaking aftermath. The post said: “Thank God our team and employees are alive, but many of our neighbors and people in the surrounding area were injured and properties were severely damaged.”
UPS has issued the following statement in response to the incident: “We are terribly saddened by tonight’s accident in Louisville. Our deepest thoughts are with everyone involved. UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPS customers.
“We are committed to the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the accident and remain in close contact with the Federal Aviation Administration. We will work tirelessly with state and local authorities on response efforts.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
READ MORE: Louisville UPS plane crash: All we know is several dead in tragedy
