Blake Smoke Fills Louisville Skies After UPS Plane Crash Near Airport

Copy of Copy of four-star-julian-phillips-discusses-recruitment-official-visits (12) — Photos of the smoke filling the skies after a plane crash at Louisville airport (photo submitted)

The skies are dark in South Louisville. The smoke from a plane crash blanketed the sky across Kentucky’s largest city.

The accident near Muhammad Ali International Airport happened at approximately 5:15 PM ET. Governor Andy Beshear shared that the three passengers on the UPS cargo flight were killed in the accident. At least 11 others are injured. Those preliminary numbers may rise.

Mayor Craig Greenberg shared on WLKY that the UPS cargo plane heading for Hawaii had 280,000 pounds’ worth of fuel. Firefighters are on the scene trying to combat flames and flying debris near Grade Lane. The road is closed between Stooges and Crittenden as they investigate the accident.

A shelter-in-place order was initially put in effect for all those within a 5-mile radius. It has been expanded northbound to the Ohio River. People are being instructed to avoid the smoke from the incident. That includes turning off your HVAC units to avoid outside smoke from infiltrating your house.

Muhammad Ali International Airport has been closed. JCPS has cancelled all classes and extracurricular activities for Wednesday. It will be treated as a snow day cancellation.

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LATEST UPDATE: A fourth fatality has been confirmed from the accident.

This is being posted on some Louisville accounts as the video of the crash. Awful pic.twitter.com/xeEasz1kRE
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 4, 2025

Surreal scenes near my house in South Louisville. This video of the plane crash was shared in a group chat.

Shelter in place in effect for a 5-mile radius near the airport. pic.twitter.com/yF0VaPL5Lv
— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) November 4, 2025

NEW: Large explosions after UPS Flight 2976 crashes near Louisville International Airport in Kentucky pic.twitter.com/qQ2bSug3tz
— BNO News (@BNONews) November 4, 2025

Surreal scene pic.twitter.com/msYcXkcArR
— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) November 4, 2025

Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky is currently closed to arriving and departing flights, following the crash of (UPS2976), a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 being operated as a cargo plane by UPS Airlines that had just taken-off from the UPS Worldport in… pic.twitter.com/vck5PmJMNK
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 4, 2025

Candidly, this is the kind of stuff you see on national news. The smoke is over my house and I’m in the radius. This is crazy. Prayers up to those closer to the scene who were caught in the middle of this horrific accident, and Godspeed to all the first responders who sprang into action shortly after the plane was engulfed in flames.

Important Instructions from LMPD

Folks who are looking for loved ones who were working at the airport, UPS, and other nearby businesses have been instructed to avoid the hospitals at the moment. They are already overwhelmed.

LMPD has set up a family reunification center at the department’s training academy, located near Churchill Downs at 2911 Taylor Boulevard. The center has activated the Red Cross, Victim Services Unit, and chaplains are available, among other resources. You can also seek out more information via the UPS hotline for employees and non-employees at 800-631-0604.

This post will be updated.

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