LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The grim task of finding victims from the firestorm that followed the crash of a UPS cargo plane in Louisville, Kentucky, entered a third day Thursday as investigators gather information to determine why the aircraft caught fire and lost an engine on takeoff.
Kentucky
Officials scour charred site of Kentucky UPS plane crash for victims and answers
The ATC tower is seen while smoke rises from the crash site of UPS Flight 2796 near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Louisville, Ky.
Jon Cherry/APThe inferno consumed the enormous plane and spread to nearby businesses, killing at least 12 people, including a child, and leaving little hope of finding survivors in the charred area of the crash at UPS Worldport, the company’s global aviation hub.
The plane with three people aboard had been cleared for takeoff Tuesday when a large fire developed in the left wing, said Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation. But determining why it caught fire and the engine fell off could take investigators more than a year.
Article continues below this ad
The plane gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of the runway before crashing just outside Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Inman said. The cockpit voice recorder and data recorder have since been recovered, and the engine was discovered on the airfield, he said.
The crash and explosion had a devastating ripple effect, striking and causing smaller blasts at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and hitting an auto salvage yard. The child who was killed was with a parent at the salvage yard, according to Gov. Andy Beshear.
Some people who heard the boom, saw the smoke and smelled burning fuel were still stunned a day later.
Stooges Bar and Grill bartender Kyla Kenady said lights suddenly flickered as she took a beer to a customer on the patio.
“I saw a plane in the sky coming down over top of our volleyball courts in flames,” she said. “In that moment, I panicked. I turned around, ran through the bar screaming, telling everyone that a plane was crashing.”
Article continues below this ad
The governor predicted that that death toll would rise, saying authorities were looking for a “handful of other people” but “we do not expect to find anyone else alive.”
University of Louisville Hospital said two people were in critical condition in the burn unit. Eighteen people were treated and discharged at that hospital or other health care centers.
The airport is 7 miles (11 kilometers) from downtown Louisville, close to the Indiana state line, residential areas, a water park and museums. The airport resumed operations on Wednesday, with at least one runway open.
The status of the three UPS crew members aboard the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, made in 1991, was still unknown, according to Beshear. It was not clear if they were being counted among the dead.
UPS said it was “terribly saddened.”
Article continues below this ad
The Louisville package handling facility is the company’s largest. The hub employs more than 20,000 people in the region, handles 300 flights daily and sorts more than 400,000 packages an hour.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former federal crash investigator, said a number of things could have caused the fire as the UPS plane was rolling down the runway.
“It could have been the engine partially coming off and ripping out fuel lines. Or it could have been a fuel leak igniting and then burning the engine off,” Guzzetti said.
The crash bears a lot of similarities to one in 1979 when the left engine fell off an American Airlines jet as it was departing Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, killing 273 people, he said.
Guzzetti said that jet and the UPS plane were equipped with the same General Electric engines and both planes underwent heavy maintenance in the month before they crashed. The NTSB blamed the Chicago crash on improper maintenance. The 1979 crash involved a DC-10, but the MD-11 UPS plane is based on the DC-10.
Article continues below this ad
Flight records show the UPS plane was on the ground in San Antonio from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18, but it was unclear what maintenance was performed and if it had any impact on the crash.
Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press reporters Ed White in Detroit; Rebecca Reynolds in Louisville, Kentucky; Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; Jonathan Mattise and Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee; and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed.
Top headlines of the week, May 8 2026
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.
Authorities said a body recovered May 4 from the Ohio River in northeast Kentucky has been identified as a Columbus man, Dispatch news partner NBC4/WMCH-TV reported.
Lewis County Sheriff Johnny Bivens said the body has been identified as Jason D. Frisbie, 38, of Columbus. Bivens said authorities in Kentucky worked with Ohio officials to identify Frisbie this week.
Bivens said Lewis County took a call around 4:30 p.m. May 4 about a body in the river in Vanceburg, Kentucky, a few miles south of Ohio’s Shawnee State Park. Bivens said responding agencies took the body to the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Lewis County authorities asked for public help identifying the body. On May 9, Bivens confirmed Frisbie’s identity after working with Ohio officials and local responders.
Bivens said the death remains under investigation, and authorities did not offer information about a suspected cause.
Kentucky
Two ‘dangerous’ inmates escape Kentucky detention center, sparking multi-agency manhunt across region
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Two inmates described as “dangerous” escaped Friday evening from a Kentucky detention center, prompting a multi-agency manhunt, police said.
The Morehead Police Department warned the surrounding community that two inmates had “walked away” from the Rowan County Detention Center.
Investigators said multiple law enforcement agencies are actively searching for the escapees, with Kentucky State Police leading the investigation.
“These inmates should be considered dangerous,” police said, warning the community not to approach anyone suspicious or unfamiliar.
KENTUCKY DAD RAGES AFTER COURT-APPROVED RELEASE OF REPEAT OFFENDER LEADS TO FAMILY’S KIDNAPPING
Two inmates described as “dangerous” escaped from a Kentucky detention center, prompting a multi-agency manhunt. (Morehead Police Department)
One of the inmates was identified as Michael Fogleman, 29, who is described as 6 feet tall and 188 pounds.
He has short or closely shaved hair and a short beard along his jawline and chin, according to police.
The second inmate was identified as James Smallwood, 52, who is listed at 6 feet 1 inch tall and about 215 pounds.
MANHUNTS ACROSS AMERICA IN 2025: FIVE CASES THAT LEFT CITIES, CAMPUSES AND TOWNS ON EDGE
Michael Fogleman, 29, is one of two inmates who escaped from a Kentucky detention center, police said. (Morehead Police Department)
He is described as having a medium to stocky build with gray facial hair around the mouth and chin area.
Smallwood was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans and possibly a hat, police said.
James Smallwood, 52, is one of two inmates on the run after escaping from a Kentucky jail, authorities said. (Morehead Police Department)
Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and call 911 immediately if they see anything suspicious or have information about the escapees.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Law enforcement agencies are searching for two escaped inmates in Kentucky, authorities said. (Silas Walker/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service)
Investigators said they will provide more information as it becomes available.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kentucky State Police and Rowan County Detention Center for comment.
The Kentucky high school 2026 outdoor track and field season has been exceptional, especially the girls competition.
In particular, the sprints and horizontal jumps.
Long Jump Leaders Set the Pace
First, the long jump.
Christian Educational Consortium’s Jade Hartlage, a rising superstar of track and field in its totality, has the state’s leading jump, 19feet, 9 inches, set March 26. She is partially homeschooled and not eligible for in KHSAA postseason.
Hartlage’s mark is followed by Simon Kenton’s Alexis Howard (19-0, March 26). Howard is another standout athlete. She was selected as a 2025 All-State Honorable Mention in soccer. Howard won the 3A indoor title in early March, recording a mark of 18-7 1/4.
Howard, Svidal Among Top Contenders
Walden School senior Natalie Svidal sailed to an 18-4 1/2 mark at the Walden Small School Championships May 5. That ties her for third in the state with Taleigha Nash of Great Crossing High School.
Triple Jump Competition Tightens
In the triple jump, Howard is atop the performance list. She leapt 40-5, April 25.
However, Svidal is close. She recorded 40-2 1/4 this past week.
Multi-Sport Stars Making Impact
Teigh Yeast, yet another standout athlete, who helped George Rogers Clark win a state basketball title in March and is a Robert Morris University basketball commit, logged a 40-0 1/2 jump April 21. Yeast was last season’s 3A champion at 39-5.25.
How Kentucky Stacks Up Nationally
Perspective and context need to be applied here. Here’s how Kentucky compares nationally.
National Benchmarks Set the Bar
Parker Coes of Morton Ranch High School (Katy, Texas) has surpassed 21 feet twice in 2026. Abigail Mecklenburg of Linn-Mar High School (Marion, Iowa) is approaching the 21-foot threshold.
Coes’ marks were achieved in the early indoor season. The Texan has jumped 20-10 1/2 outdoors (April 3) but her last mark was 18-11 3/4, May 2.
Mecklenburg is yet to replicate her indoor marks outdoors.
The top outdoor jump so far in 2026 is 42-7.5, set by Daniela Hughes of Los Altos High School (Los Altos, California).
A significant challenge for the Bluegrass jumpers to surpass. But if there is a season for top-10 national rankings or records.
State Records Within Reach
With that said, the Kentucky state records are potentially breakable in the next two weeks. The current records are 20-4 (Maxine Graham, Fleming County High School, 1975) and 41-7 (Sophie Galloway, Marshall County High School, 2021).
Each has the speed and explosiveness to challenge those marks.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Hawaii1 minute agoFlames engulf van on H-1 Freeway near Punchbowl
-
Idaho7 minutes agoDay use state park fees waived for Idaho residents on July 4 to celebrate America250
-
Illinois13 minutes agoMan arrested after barricading himself inside vape shop in Des Plaines, Illinois, police say
-
Indiana19 minutes ago6 Best Towns Near Indianapolis For Retirees
-
Iowa25 minutes agoGroundbreaking held for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build
-
Kansas31 minutes agoThis Chiefs-Bears trade would land Kansas City it’s long-term Travis Kelce replacement
-
Kentucky37 minutes agoBody found in Ohio River in northeast Kentucky ID’d as Columbus man
-
Louisiana43 minutes ago
Eight children killed in Louisiana mass shooting remembered at funeral
