OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:23 AM – Wednesday, November 5, 2025
A UPS cargo plane, an MD-11, crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday, killing at least nine people. The victims included three crew members and several ground workers.
As of Wednesday, first responders and recovery teams are still actively searching the site for additional victims, with reports indicating some individuals remain unaccounted for amid the debris and fire damage.
The crash also prompted a state of emergency declaration by Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) to support ongoing efforts, and investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are underway.
The crash ignited 38,000 gallons of jet fuel, discharging a massive plume of smoke and a trail of raging fire requiring 18 fire departments to quell the flames, according to Beshear.
“In total, over 50 trucks responded … a surge of resources to respond to a very significant explosion and fire,” Beshear stated. “These groups got in and got control of this much faster than I think most people would have believed was possible.”
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Viral dashcam footage captures the harrowing moment of the plane’s crash, followed by a massive trail of fire and smoke.
The accident occurred at around 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday as the plane attempted to depart for Honolulu from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
At least nine individuals were confirmed to have died in the accident, although Beshear noted that the death toll may rise — as 16 families have, thus far, reported loved ones that are still unaccounted for.
“I’m now fairly confident that the number will grow by at least one. We hope it doesn’t grow by too many more,” Beshear stated. “There is a significant amount of resources in the search and rescue and, ultimately, what is probably by now the recovery effort that is occurring.”
“Additionally, I’ve taken action to establish the Team Kentucky Emergency Relief Fund to help those affected,” he announced. “Donations will help pay for funerals and for response recovery and rebuilding.”
Meanwhile, 28 individuals from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have begun combing through the wreckage to investigate the cause of the crash.
“They are going to analyze absolutely every bit of what happened,” stated Democrat Rep. Morgan McGarvery (D-Ky.) on Wednesday. “We’re talking about everything that is man-made, that is machine made, this is environmental. The NTSB is going to go over with a fine-tooth comb.”
“Louisville looked apocalyptic last night,” McGarvey continued, detailing the aftermath. “The images of smoke coming over our city, of debris falling in every neighborhood, people trapped in their homes.”
“I had someone tell me it looked like it was running oil in Louisville.”
McGarvey also revealed that the government shutdown has had “no impact” on the emergency response.
Additionally, Okolona Fire District Chief Mark Little detailed the struggle of searching for victims and survivors, stating, “I don’t know how many victims we’re actually looking for. That’s one of the issues.”
“And the debris zone is so large, so trying to get people back there and with the debris zone, some of that debris is going to have to be moved and searched underneath, so it will take us quite a while,” he added.
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