A plane has crashed near Louisville international airport in Kentucky, with local police officials reporting an unknown number of injuries.
A UPS flight took off from the airport and crashed around 5.15pm local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had three crew members on board, according to UPS. It was bound for Honolulu.
Currently, the number of casualties and injuries is unconfirmed, and the National Transportation Safety Board will be leading the official investigation going forward, a UPS spokesperson said in a statement to the Guardian.
A huge plume of smoke was visible south of the airport shortly afterwards. The Louisville metro police department said multiple agencies were responding to reports of a crash.
In a post on Twitter/X, Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, described the situation as “serious” and said that he is heading to Louisville.
“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,” he wrote in another post.
“This is an active scene with fire and debris,” LMPD said in a statement. “Stay away.”
Videos posted on social media appeared to show an active blaze.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for all locations within 5 miles of the airport, which was closed. The order was later extended to “all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River”, covering much of the city.
“Please remain away from the area until further notice,” added LMPD.
