A heart-stopping video captures the moment a UPS cargo plane, loaded with fuel, tragically crashed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, igniting a massive fireball.

Recorded from a vehicle on a nearby road, the video shows an enormous plume of black and gray smoke spiraling skyward, visible for miles around. The scene was both shocking and devastating.

Within the vehicle, the driver can be heard exclaiming in disbelief as flames engulf the remains of the aircraft on the runway, with another plane parked just ahead, highlighting the proximity of the disaster.

The footage vividly captures the moment the UPS plane burst into flames during takeoff at the Louisville airport in Kentucky. This dramatic scene was documented by the Associated Press.

The fireball rapidly expanded, sending ripples through the air, while emergency sirens could be faintly heard wailing in the background, adding to the sense of urgency and danger.

On November 4, 2025, fire and smoke marked the tragic site where the fully fueled UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, as captured in images by Stephen Cohen for Getty Images.

Debris appears scattered across the tarmac as emergency crews rush toward the wreckage. 

The person filming also shouts in terror as the video captures the scale of the disaster before news of the crash sent shock through the community.

According to the FAA, the plane crashed around 5:15 p.m. during takeoff, bound for Honolulu.

The crash killed at least three people and injured at least 11 others.

Black smoke and flames billow from the site of the UPS plane crash disaster in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/AP Photo)

“UPS Flight 2976, carrying three crew members, crashed at about 5:14 p.m. ET onto the roof of the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling building after departing from SDF,” Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Tuesday evening.

“At least two employees at nearby business Grade A Auto Parts are unaccounted for,” Beshear added, calling the incident “catastrophic.”

Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the accident.

Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for nearby neighborhoods due to the heavy smoke and debris.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville Fire Department for comment.