Timeline: Flight data depicts UPS cargo jet’s final minutes before fatal KY crash

Timeline: Flight data depicts UPS cargo jet’s final minutes before fatal KY crash

By Wednesday morning, at least twelve people had died following a UPS cargo plane crash at Louisville’s airport. Several others were also injured in the accident, which occurred late Tuesday afternoon.

The aircraft, a wide-body tri-engine McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, was operating a routine cargo flight to Honolulu, part of UPS’s regular three-times-a-week schedule, according to public aviation data.

Records from Flightradar24 show that the plane had arrived from Baltimore earlier that morning and was scheduled to depart Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport at 3 p.m. However, it did not begin its takeoff roll until around 5:08 p.m., nearly two hours late. The reason for this delay remains undetermined.

Videos captured at the scene show the jet racing down the airport’s longest runway with its left-wing engine on fire.

After lifting just 175 feet above ground level, according to flight tracking data, the Boeing-manufactured jet veered toward an industrial park south of the airport, where it struck several structures and exploded.

Emergency crews arrived rapidly to extinguish the fire fueled by roughly 38,000 gallons of jet fuel.

This report was first published on November 5, 2025, at 1:14 PM.

Author’s summary

The UPS MD-11F cargo jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville, killing twelve and sparking a massive fire fueled by 38,000 gallons of jet fuel.

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Lexington Herald Leader Lexington Herald Leader — 2025-11-05

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