A UPS cargo airplane crashed when departing Louisville Muhammad Ali Worldwide Airport (SDF) on the night of Nov. 4, killing not less than seven individuals. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11’s crash marks the deadliest since UPS Airways’ inception in 1988.
“At roughly 5:20 p.m., [Nov. 4], UPS Flight 2976 from Louisville, KY, to Honolulu, an MD-11 with three crewmembers onboard, was concerned in an accident in Louisville,” UPS mentioned in a press release.
The crash triggered a large fireplace in its wake, with a large plume of smoke and flames being despatched into the sky that might be seen from miles away. The Louisville Metro Police Division and different first responders arrived on the scene, located in a predominantly industrial space. The general public was informed to keep away from the realm, and a shelter-in-place was issued.
Instantly after the crash, Louisville Muhammad Ali Worldwide Airport (SDF) closed its airfield, suspending all arriving and departing flights. However, the airport posted on X it anticipated the airfield to be operational the next day (Nov. 5).
The reason for the crash stays unknown, with the Federal Aviation Administration and Nationwide Transportation Security Board investigating the incident.
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Within the aftermath of the crash, some passengers with upcoming flights to or from Louisville Muhammad Ali Worldwide Airport may expertise disruptions. Each industrial airplanes and cargo plane depend on the identical air visitors management towers, which additionally handle navy and common aviation flights.
A whole bunch of flights fly to and from the airport each day, with 504 on Nov. 2, in keeping with FlightAWare. In line with the flight-tracking platform, 5% (or 16) of the departing airport’s flights on Nov. 5 have been cancelled.
The airport has been working to extend its air capability, with 2023 and 2024 being record-setting years for air passenger numbers. Practically 5 million passengers handed by way of SDF’s terminals final yr.
Not solely is SDF one of many largest airports in Kentucky, it is also one of many busiest cargo airports within the nation because of Louisville being an essential UPS hub. Town is dwelling to UPS Worldport, the largest sorting and logistics facility within the U.S. with over 300 every day inbound and outbound flights that transfer about two million packages.
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: What the Louisville UPS airplane crash means for upcoming flights