Louisville cargo plane crash: Investigators recover flight recorders after deadly UPS disaster

Federal investigators say they’ve recovered both flight recorders from the wreckage of UPS Flight 2976, the wide-body cargo jet that crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, killing at least 12 people and leaving 15 others missing.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was en route to Honolulu on Tuesday evening when its left engine reportedly broke off during takeoff. “After being cleared for takeoff, a large plume of fire in the area of the left wing occurred during the takeoff roll,” said National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman. “The plane lifted off and gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of runway 17R.”

CCTV footage showed the left engine detaching before the aircraft caught fire. The engine was later found on the runway, though investigators have not yet determined how it separated or how the wing ignited.

The crash left a fiery 800-metre trail after the aircraft struck multiple buildings, including a petroleum recycling plant and an auto parts company, narrowly missing a Ford factory. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear described the scene as “violent,” comparing the devastation to a tornado path.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed 12 deaths, three believed to be crew members and nine civilians, with several victims still unidentified.

The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are leading the probe. The recovered flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been sent for analysis, but officials say it could take months before the cause is known.

UPS temporarily halted operations at its massive Worldport hub, the company’s global logistics centre that handles more than 300 flights daily, but said it would soon reopen.