Chilling reason plane crashed after takeoff
Officials have revealed the chilling reason a large plane crashed shortly after takeoff yesterday, as incredible new footage comes to light.
Officials have revealed the chilling reason a large cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff at a US airport yesterday, as incredible new footage comes to light.
At least 12 people have died, and more were injured, when UPS flight 2976 flipped and exploded into a ball of fire around 5.15pm on Tuesday, US time, after departing Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky for Honolulu, Hawaii.
Multiple emergency crews, including the Louisville Metro Police Department responded to the crash site, where authorities warned there was “fire and debris”.
During a press conference on Thursday morning AEDT, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) official Todd Inman revealed the explosion occurred after the engine detached from the aircraft.
“We have viewed airport CCTV security coverage, which shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll,” Mr Inman said.
“After being cleared for takeoff, a large plume of fire in the area of the left wing occurred during the takeoff roll.
“The plane lifted off and gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of runway 17R. “Shortly after clearing that fence, it made impact with structures and the terrain off of the airport property.
“A post-impact fire ensued, which covers approximately a half of a mile.”
Twelve people have died as a result of the crash, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said in an update on X, “with the possibility of more”.
“Right now these families need prayers, love and support. Let’s wrap our arms around them during this unimaginable time.”
Shock dashcam footage of deadly plane crash
Shocking new video, taken from the dashcam of a truck parked at the airport, captured the moment the large cargo plane attempted to take off, The New York Post reported.
A ball of flame was already following the aircraft as it careened into view, and within an instant, it rolled over and crashed to the ground in a lot filled with cargo trucks.
The plane smashed out of view with a roaring rush as flames consumed the lot and several trucks parked in its path.
The dashcam captured the reaction of the driver as the fast-moving fireball illuminated his face, leaving his mouth and eyes wide with shock.
He watched the plane explode, then leapt from the cab, yelling: “Oh sh*t. Oh my f***ing god.”
The three crew members on board the plane at the time of the incident are believed to be among the dead, as well as at least another six people on the ground.
More are understood to be missing with Governor Beshear saying in an earlier update, “16 different families have reported loved ones unaccounted for.
“A significant search and rescue mission was underway overnight, which is continuing this morning.”
The plane crash sparked secondary explosions at a nearby petroleum recycling facility which Governor Beshear said appeared to have been “hit pretty directly”.
“There are some storage tanks there that have propane and oil,” Louisville fire chief Brian O’Neill said.
“Some of those have ruptured. You might have heard there were some secondary explosions … some of that were small tanks”.
Several other businesses in the path of the crash were also severely damaged.
More than 100 firefighters from across the region were called to the scene to contain the enormous blaze.
“When you have such a large scale incident and fire that spread over such a massive area, we have to use hundreds of personnel to surround it, contain it, and then slowly bring it in,” Chief O’Neill said.
Areal footage shows the plume of black smoke stretching for kilometres.
UPS earlier said three crew members were on board the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 plane, which authorities said was carrying 38,000 gallons (about 144,000 litres) of fuel.
Boeing, which merged with plane manufacturer McDonnell Douglas in 1997, has offered to help investigate the cause of the crash.
“Our concern is for the safety and wellbeing of all those affected. We stand ready to support our customer and have offered technical assistance to the National Transportation Safety Board,” the company said in a statement.
Representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board will touch down in Louisville on Wednesday morning to continue investigations into what caused the crash, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said on X on Wednesday.
Upon examining verified footage of the crash, an aviation expert told the BBC that it looks as though “the left engine fell off during takeoff”.
Another expert told the publication it appears “the left engine (catches) fire during takeoff”.
“A single engine fire can usually be managed, but losing two engines within seconds would have made the plane impossible to control or climb away.”
‘An incredible tragedy’
In an update on X, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the fire from the crash was “still burning”.
“We have every emergency agency responding to the scene. There are multiple injuries and the fire is still burning. There are many road closures in the area – please avoid the scene,” he wrote.
In a separate post, Mr Greenberg called the incident an “incredible tragedy that our community will never forget”.
“We are so thankful for our brave first responders who have flooded the scene to help try and control the fire and provide support for any victims on the ground,” he wrote.
A shelter-in-place order was issued within the hour “for all locations within five miles (8km) of the airport,” the Louisville Metro Police Department posted on X.
The airport closed the entire airfield after the crash, it announced on X.
“At this time, all arriving and departing flights at SDF are temporarily suspended and the airfield is closed,” it wrote.
The US National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.
One cargo plane with UPS was set to take off from the Kentucky airport at 5:02pm, according to a FlightAware tracker. It’s unclear if this is the same aircraft that crashed near the airport.
The FAA confirmed that the plane crashed shortly after taking off.
“UPS Flight 2976 crashed around 5:15pm local time on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky,” the FAA said in a statement. “The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was headed to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.
“The NTSB will lead the investigation and will provide all updates.”
Airports paralysed by delays, cancellations
This all comes as US airports have descended into chaos with the government shutdown leading to major delays and cancellations.
It comes following an uptick in absences from air traffic controllers, who are under “immense stress and fatigue” from the ongoing, record-breaking US government shutdown, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
More than 16,700 US flights were delayed and another 2,282 were cancelled over the weekend from Friday to Sunday, according to FlightAware.
The chaos didn’t end there with delays continuing into Monday with more than 4,000 delays and 600 cancellations across major airports including Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver and Newark – FlightAware data revealed.
Social media footage showed huge lines as George Bush International Airport warned passengers to expect delays until further notice.
The US government shutdown entered its 35th day on Tuesday, matching a record set during Donald Trump’s first presidency, as his administration warned of potential chaos at airports going into one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
In a statement issued on November 1, the FAA said nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, ensuring the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the National Airspace System (NAS).
“As we head into this weekend, a surge in call-outs is straining staffing levels at multiple facilities, leading to widespread impacts across the NAS,” the statement read.
“Currently, half of our Core 30 facilities are experiencing staffing shortages, and nearly 80 per cent of air traffic controllers are absent at New York – area facilities.
“After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue.
“The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travellers can avoid further disruptions and delays.”
About 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, have been placed on enforced leave without pay or made to work for nothing.
The Trump administration sounded the alarm Tuesday over turmoil at airports nationwide if the shutdown drags into a sixth week, worsening staff shortages, snarling airport lines and closing down sections of airspace.
“So if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos … You will see mass flight delays,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told a news conference in Philadelphia.
“You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.”
– with AFP and The New York Post
