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The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a deadly plane crash that took place at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Tuesday.
“At approximately 5:14 p.m. Eastern time tonight, UPS Flight 2976 from Louisville, Ky., to Honolulu, HI, an MD-11 with three crew members on board, was involved in a catastrophic crash here in Louisville adjacent to our airport,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during a media update Tuesday evening.
Officials say the plane was not carrying any hazardous cargo, but because of the planned long-distance flight to Hawaii the plane was filled with more than 200,000 pounds of jet fuel upon impact. Louisville Metro Emergency Services advised businesses and residents to shelter-in-place from Outer Loop to the Ohio River following the crash. That zone was reduced to a one-mile radius from the airport Tuesday night.
As of Tuesday evening, seven fatalities have been confirmed as a result of the crash, with 11 injuries. A victim family reunification center has been established at the Louisville Metro Police Training Academy, located at 2911 Taylor Boulevard. Two businesses, Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Autoparts, were directly impacted by the crash.
Package sorting operations at the UPS Worldport facility have been halted. The company said in a statement: “We are terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville. Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved. UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers.” Family members seeking information about UPS employees can call 1-800-631-0604.
The NTSB has launched a go-team to investigate the crash. More information is due to be delivered during a media briefing Wednesday.
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