U.S. investigators have recovered the black box recorders from the wreckage of a UPS cargo plane that crashed in flames on takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky. At least twelve people died. The crash sent a wall of fire into an industrial corridor and forced the shutdown of the airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board said a plume of fire erupted around the aircraft’s left wing as the MD eleven freighter accelerated down the runway. One of its three engines detached. The thirty four year old jet had three crew members on board and was bound for Honolulu. It crashed after clearing a fence at the end of the runway on Tuesday evening.
The aircraft was engulfed immediately. Fires spread through nearby buildings and ignited a petroleum recycling facility that later exploded. The debris field stretched for about half a mile. The blaze forced the airport to close for the night and disrupted operations at the UPS Worldport hub, slowing parcel deliveries.
Investigators said the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder appeared intact. They were built to survive crash impacts and extreme heat. Officials expect a full readout once the devices reach the NTSB laboratory in Washington. Preliminary findings are usually released within thirty days. Final conclusions take much longer.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency to speed the arrival of resources. Nine people were confirmed dead on the ground. Three crew members also died. The mayor of Louisville said several people remained unaccounted for as recovery teams searched through the wreckage. Eleven people on the ground were injured on Tuesday, some critically. It was unclear whether any were later counted among the dead.
Around two hundred firefighters and emergency crews battled the fires with fifty trucks. A nearby convention centre, a restaurant and a Ford plant escaped the blaze. The Independent Pilots Association said all three pilots on the aircraft were on duty. The union is taking part in the investigation.
The airport reopened early on Wednesday. The affected runway will stay closed for ten days. UPS said it resumed operations at its Worldport hub on Wednesday evening and aimed to restore normal schedules by Thursday morning.
The NTSB said there was no sign the crash was linked to the recent government shutdown that strained air traffic control. The airport tower was reported to have had its full team on duty. Production of MD eleven aircraft ended in 2000. About fifty remain in cargo service worldwide with UPS and FedEx.
Boeing and GE Aerospace said they were supporting the investigation. Aviation safety specialists said the inquiry will focus on the engine that caught fire and separated from the aircraft. Experts said the plane can operate after losing one engine, but the sequence of failures must be examined.
The aircraft was fully fuelled for its eight and a half hour flight to Honolulu. It was the first crash of a UPS cargo plane since 2013, when an Airbus freighter went down during an approach in Alabama, killing both pilots.
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