A United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane, a MD-11 model, tragically crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville’s international airport in Kentucky. On board the aircraft were three crew members, whose conditions remain unconfirmed.

The ill-fated UPS Flight 2976 had its sights set on Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is collaborating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the investigation, the incident occurred just after 5 p.m. local time.

UPS has expressed its commitment to providing updates as more details emerge. However, they emphasized that the NTSB will lead the investigation and serve as the primary source for official information.

The plane, which was fully fueled, descended into an industrial area, crashing approximately 1.6 kilometers from the runway’s end. While the UPS statement refrained from confirming any injuries or fatalities at this stage, the aviation community is awaiting further insights from the ongoing investigation.

“UPS will release more facts as they become available, but the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation and will be the primary source of information about the official investigation.”

The fully-fueled plane crashed into the ground in an industrial area less than 1.6 kilometres from the end of the runway.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said there are multiple injuries and warned residents in the area that the fire is “still burning”.

“There are many road closures in the area – please avoid the scene,” he said in a post on X.

“The plane was carrying 280,000 gallons of fuel.”

Mayor Greenberg likely meant 280,000 pounds of fuel in his post.

The large fire has spread to a recycling centre nearby the airport, Louisville news station WLKY reports.

The airfield around Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport remains closed following the crash.

Billowing black smoke and flames were seen spreading over a field of debris as scores of first responders arrived at the scene.

Injuries have been reported, police said.

In a post on X, UPS said it was aware of an “incident” involving one of its aircraft in Louisville.

The sound of an “explosion” was heard near Grade Lane and Fern Valley Road near the international airport, according to local media reports.

A massive plume of black smoke is rising not far from the tarmac at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, videos from CNN affiliate WAVE show.

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is the worldwide air hub for UPS.

The company’s Worldport is more than five million square feet where more than 12,000 UPS employees process more than two million packages a day, according to the company.

A shelter-in-place has been issued for all locations within eight kilometres of the airport, police added.

“LMPD and multiple other agencies are responding to reports of a plan crash near Fern Valley and Grade Lane,” the post said.

“Grade lane will be closed indefinitely between Stooges and Crittenden.”

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F is a freight transport aircraft manufactured originally by McDonnell Douglas and later by Boeing.

The aircraft is primarily flown by FedEx Express, Lufthansa Cargo and UPS Airlines for cargo.

The plane also served as a popular wide-bodied passenger airplane after it was first flown in 1990.

As fuel costs increased for the three engine jets many of them were converted to freighters.

The plane can take off weighing in at a maximum 633,000 pounds and carrying more than 38,000 gallons of fuel, according to Boeing, which bought McDonnell Douglass.