Cargo plane crash in the US: Kentucky declares state of emergency

Photo caption — Smoke rises at the scene of a cargo plane crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Kentucky (US). Photo: Getty Images/TTXVN

The incident killed at least 11 people and burned down many industrial facilities.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, manufactured in 1991 and carrying fuel for an 8.5-hour flight to Honolulu, Hawaii, crashed at around 5:15 p.m. on November 5 (local time), just minutes after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

According to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), surveillance images show the plane's left engine caught fire and separated from the wing during takeoff. Although the plane still managed to leave the ground, the crashed plane crashed into a series of structures outside the airport area, causing a large explosion and a fire that spread about 800 meters through the industrial area, including an oil recycling facility.

Three crew members and eight people on the ground were killed, including at least one child. In addition, the incident also left about 11 people injured, including two in critical condition. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the death toll could rise, and confirmed that several people were missing.

Mr. Beshear signed an emergency order to expedite rescue operations and mobilized the Kentucky National Guard to assist in the search for victims. More than 200 firefighters and rescue workers and 50 specialized vehicles were mobilized to control the raging fire that engulfed the area.

NTSB said the two black boxes containing the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were found intact and will be analyzed at a laboratory in Washington DC. NTSB member Todd Inman said the detached engine remained in the airport area, helping to quickly pinpoint the cause.

According to aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse, although the MD-11 can continue flying with two engines, losing one engine during takeoff could cause a “dangerous chain reaction” that could cause the plane to lose control.

UPS said it had temporarily suspended sorting operations at its Worldport global hub in Louisville, its largest air freight hub, disrupting its global delivery service. Louisville International Airport reopened on the morning of November 6, but the runway where the accident occurred will be closed for at least 10 days.

GE Aerospace, which makes the engines for the MD-11, and Boeing, which currently owns the program to produce the aircraft, said they were ready to provide technical assistance to the investigation.

The crash is considered the most serious aviation disaster in UPS's history since 2013, when an Airbus cargo plane crashed in Alabama, killing two pilots.

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