Louisville, KY – A UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) on Tuesday afternoon, November 4, 2025. The aircraft, operating as UPS Flight 2976 and bound for Honolulu, reportedly gained an altitude of only 175 feet before impacting the ground south of the airfield around 5:15 p.m. local time. Multiple emergency agencies responded to the scene, with large plumes of black smoke visible for miles. Injuries have been reported, though details regarding the severity and number of individuals affected remain unclear at this time.
The crash occurred in a neighborhood near Fern Valley Road and Grade Lane, prompting authorities to issue a shelter-in-place order for a five-mile radius around the airport. Grade Lane has been closed indefinitely between Stooges and Crittenden Drive as emergency crews work at the crash site. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the incident, stating that both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of the crash. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide further updates.
The MD-11 is a wide-body, tri-jet cargo aircraft, originally developed by McDonnell Douglas and later produced by Boeing. UPS added the MD-11 to its fleet in the 1990s, utilizing it for long-haul routes from its Louisville hub. While historically used for passenger flights, many MD-11s have since been converted to freighters. This particular aircraft, registered as N259UP, was carrying three crew members at the time of the accident.
The crash marks one of UPS’s most serious incidents in recent years. The MD-11 has been involved in other notable incidents in the past, including hard landings and crashes, prompting safety recommendations from the NTSB. The Louisville airport serves as UPS’s global air hub, known as Worldport, a massive facility that processes approximately two million packages daily.
This is a developing story, and more information will be released as it becomes available from the ongoing investigation by the NTSB and FAA. Residents and observers are urged to follow official updates from the authorities regarding the incident and any related safety advisories.
