Injuries Reported After UPS Plane Crashes in Louisville, Police Say

Emergency responders are at the scene of a plane crash with injuries near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, the Louisville police said.

Data from Flightradar24, a tracking platform, showed that a UPS plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, bound for Honolulu took off from the airport shortly after 5 p.m. It reached an altitude of just 175 feet before swiftly descending, according to the data.

Footage of the crash that was broadcast on local television showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing skyward near the airport.

“This is an active scene with fire and debris,” the police said on social media, asking people to avoid the area.

A shelter-in-place order was issued for a five-mile radius around the airport, the police said.

Louisville is home to UPS’s main air hub, which it calls Worldport. The company owns or operates 291 aircraft, according to a company filing. Last year, UPS on average delivered over 22 million packages a day.

The Louisville airport said that its airfield was closed after an “aircraft incident” had occurred.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Peter Eavis conributed reporting.