HORRIFYING footage shows the Louisville jet on fire moments before it crashed – with local media reporting the explosion which killed three may have been caused by an engine issue.
In the jaw-dropping clip, the UPS cargo aircraft can be seen darting across the tarmac while its left engine appears to be engulfed in a raging inferno.
Just moments later, the Hawaii-bound plane with three people onboard erupts into a massive fireball as it smashes into a petroleum recycling factory.
A source told ABC News that there was an engine issue during the plane’s take off which caused UPS Flight 2976 to crash.
The Federal Aviation Authority said on X that they would be investigating the crash alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The authority said: “The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and will provide all updates.”
Hordes of police and fire crews are responding to the ferocious blaze just outside Louisville International Airport, Kentucky.
Authorities said 11 people were injured as a result of the crash – with some left in critical condition.
They added that they expected both the injury and death toll to rise.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said: “We believe we have at least three fatalities. I believe that number is going to get larger.
“Anybody who has seen the images in the video know how violent this crash is”.
Two businesses south of the airport, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts, were impacted by the plane and its debris.
Grade A Auto Parts said it had accounted for all its employees except for two – but warned there may have been many other customers inside its facility at the time.
Footage filmed from an adjacent road also showed the fireball ripping across the land – presumably following the path of the blazing plane.
A shelter in place alert was issued for a five-mile radius just after 5:30pm local time, due to the volume of smoke around.
The plane was heading to Honolulu in Hawaii and was carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel for its 12-hour journey.
A MetroSafe supervisor said emergency crews responded to a “reported explosion”.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg offered his prayers for the victims and said: “There are multiple injuries and the fire is still burning.
“There are many road closures in the area – please avoid the scene.”
Beshear said: “Kentucky, we are aware of a reported plane crash near Louisville International Airport.
“First responders are onsite, and we will share more information as available.
“Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected. We will share more soon.”
The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that UPS Flight 2976 crashed at around 5:15pm local time.
Louisville airport confirmed all flights were suspended until further notice.
They said: “At this time, all arriving and departing flights at SDF are temporarily suspended and the airfield is closed.”
The plane that crashed was a 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
UPS announced in 2023 it planned to retire its MD-11s over the next decade as part of plans to modernise their fleet.
