U.S. federal investigators have recovered the flight recorders from the wreckage of a UPS cargo plane that crashed and erupted in flames during takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least 12 people and halting airport operations.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said both the cockpit voice and flight data recorders were found intact and would be examined at its laboratory in Washington, D.C. NTSB member Todd Inman said a “plume of fire” erupted around the left wing as one of the jet’s three engines detached during takeoff on Tuesday evening.
The 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, bound for Honolulu with three crew members aboard, crashed just beyond the airport perimeter, striking several buildings in an industrial corridor and igniting multiple fires. A petroleum recycling plant exploded, and a debris field stretched about half a mile through the area.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that nine people on the ground and all three crew members were killed. At least 11 others were injured, some critically. Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency to accelerate recovery efforts as more than 200 firefighters and 50 emergency vehicles battled the blaze late into the night.
The Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, home to UPS’s Worldport global air hub, reopened early Wednesday, but the damaged runway will remain closed for about 10 days. UPS, which temporarily suspended operations, said it plans to restore normal flight schedules by Thursday morning.
Inman said investigators will focus on why the engine separated and whether it triggered the fire. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, with the full investigation likely to take up to two years.
Aviation expert Anthony Brickhouse noted that while the MD-11 can fly with one engine out, a separation during takeoff can destabilise the aircraft. Boeing and GE Aerospace, which manufacture the plane and its engines, said they are assisting the inquiry.
The accident is the first fatal UPS air crash since 2013, when a freighter went down near Birmingham, Alabama, killing both pilots.
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had b...
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday...
Azerbaijan is seeking to attract more European visitors by improving air connectivity and raising its profile as an international tourism des...
Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
An Azerbaijani citizen died and another is missing after a cargo ship was attacked by a drone in the Black Sea, near the coast of Romania on Monday, 5 October, Baku's Foreign Ministry has said.
The German-Azerbaijani Connectivity Conference 2026 commenced on 6 October in Baku under the title “Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure, Transport, Logistics, Green Energy, and Digitalisation along the Middle Corridor.”
Russia's health watchdog said on Tuesday that no cases of plague had been detected among anyone who had come into contact with a Siberian plague institute laboratory worker who died last week, and locals said their lives had barely been disrupted.
Space-agency chiefs and industry leaders met to discuss lunar exploration, satellite networks and orbital security on Tuesday as a major global space congress entered its second day.
Police fired tear gas at protesters blockading French high schools on Tuesday as students, teachers and parents took to the streets on the biggest day of action in a wave of demonstrations against understaffed and dilapidated classrooms.
A large Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region has killed two people, damaged homes and sparked a major fire at a key fuel facility, according to Russian officials and military bloggers.
Kenya has confirmed its first case of Ebola after a Kenyan citizen who had travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi, prompting health authorities to launch an urgent contact-tracing operation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment