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UPS plane crash reported in Kentucky
A plane reportedly crashed near Louisville International Airport Tuesday afternoon, causing fire and debris. Officials confirmed injuries and more than 20 emergency calls for service. A shelter-in-place was issued within five miles as smoke was seen rising from the area.
WASHINGTON - A preliminary investigation has found a detached engine led to the fire that ultimately caused a UPS plane to crash in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this month, the National Transportation Safety Board announced.
UPS plane crash in Louisville
The backstory:
UPS flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4. The fiery wreck caught on camera killed all three crew members on board and 11 people on the ground, including a child. Nearly two dozen others were injured.
The plane crashed into several buildings, including a petroleum recycling facility, causing another explosion.
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Surveillance footage showing the left engine of UPS flight 2976 separating from the plane's wing at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4, 2025. (Credit: National Transportation Safety Board)
NTSB report
What we know:
The NTSB's initial report shared new images of what caused the fire on the plane. It started as the plane started takeoff. Investigators found that the engine underneath the left wing broke off as the plane lifted off the ground. The upward thrust of the plane sent the flaming engine flying into the air before crashing down near the runway. The fire started in the engine, and spread to the wing.
The plane never got more than 30 feet above the ground and was off the ground for less than two minutes, according to the report, before one of the landing gears clipped the top of a UPS building and the plane crashed.
Surveillance footage showing the left engine of UPS flight 2976 separating from the plane's wing at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4, 2025. (Credit: National Transportation Safety Board)
Plane maintenance records
Dig deeper:
The NTSB's analysis of the wreckage found that the pylon, which connects the engine to the wing, fractured on takeoff. Investigators found several cracks in the connecting parts.
That part of the plane was last visually inspected in October 2021. The next inspection was due in 2027, and a detailed inspection wasn't due for another roughly 7,000 flights.
Service records show that the pylon was serviced on October 28, 2025.
The three crew members had thousands of hours of combined experience on that specific airplane model, the NTSB said.
The NTSB's full preliminary report can be found here.
The Source: Information in this story is from the National Transportation Safety Board and previous FOX 5 reports.