Kay Tee
    10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  • Apps

  • Instagram

  • Facebook

  • X

  • TikTok

  • Home
  • Hosts
    • Matt Murphy
    • MJ
    • Kay Tee
  • Contests
    • View All Contests
    • Contest Rules
  • Features
    • Recipes
    • News, Sports and Weather
    • Pet Adoption
    • Daily Comic Strips
    • Crossword Puzzle
    • Sudoku
    • Horoscopes
    • Coupons
    • Advice
    • Slideshows
  • Events
    • Community Events
    • Submit Your Community Event
  • Connect
    • Contact and Directions
    • Become a Pulse Insider!
    • Download the Pulse FM APP
    • Advertise
    • Social Media
      • TikTok
      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
  • search
UPS cargo plane with 3 aboard crashes, explodes on takeoff at Louisville airport, igniting huge fire

Fire and smoke mark where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on November 04, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. The fully fueled plane crashed shortly after takeoff with a shelter-in-place order issued for within 5 miles of the airport. (Photo by Stephen Cohen/Getty Images)

UPS cargo plane with 3 aboard crashes, explodes on takeoff at Louisville airport, igniting huge fire

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A large UPS cargo plane with three people aboard crashed and exploded Tuesday while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, igniting a massive fire that left a thick plume of black smoke over the area.

The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. as it was departing for Honolulu from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Video showed flames on the plane’s left wing and a trail of smoke. The plane then lifted slightly off the ground before crashing and exploding in a huge fireball. Video also revealed portions of a building’s shredded roof next to the end of the runway.

“We know that there are injuries. We don’t know yet about fatalities, but we’re asking all Kentuckians to pray for those that have been impacted,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told The Associated Press.

The crash has drawn a massive response, including from police and fire agencies, and because of the flames, some responders “have had to shelter behind different things,” Beshear said.

“It is still a very dangerous situation with different flammables or potentially explosive materials,” Beshear said.

Mayor Craig Greenberg told WLKY-TV that fuel on the plane was an “extreme reason for concern in so many different ways.”

UPS’s largest package handling facility is in Louisville. The hub employs thousands of workers, has 300 daily flights and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.

A shelter-in-place order was extended to all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River. The Louisville airport is only a 10-minute drive from the city’s downtown, which sits on the river bordering the Indiana state line. There are residential areas, a water park and museums in the area.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airplane owned by UPS was manufactured in 1991.

Recent News

Lamar Homes’ 5th Annual Turkey & Coat Drive

See Ed Sheeran in Charlotte!

Furry Friday: Meet Baked Potato!

Composting Made Easy: Tips from the WPTF Weekend Gardener

Furry Friday: Meet Bashful!

Ironweed: The resilient perennial transforming North Carolina landscapes

Furry Friday: Meet Sunflower!

Furry Friday: Meet Lucy!

Furry Friday: Meet Marcy!

One year later, western North Carolina still recovers from Hurricane Helene

  • QDR logo

  • La Ley 101.1FM

Copyright © 2025 WPLW-FM. All Rights Reserved.

View Full Site

  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Contest Rules
  • EEO
  • Public Inspection File: WPLW-FM
  • Employment Opportunities
  • FCC Applications
Powered By SoCast