Louisville: Newly released dashcam footage shows the horrifying moment a UPS cargo plane burst into flames above a tyre shop in Kentucky, sending workers scrambling for safety moments before it crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on November 4.
According to a report by The Independent (UK), the video, filmed by truck driver Rasim Hadžić shows the aircraft clipping power lines and nearby buildings before erupting into a massive fireball. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the aircraft’s left engine detached during take-off, causing the Boeing MD-11 to crash through a UPS warehouse roof before exploding.
Investigators Confirm Engine Detached Mid-Air
Authorities said the cargo flight, bound for Hawaii, crashed shortly after clearing the airport fence. “Shortly after clearing that fence, it made impact with structures and the terrain off airport property,” the NTSB said, adding that a post-impact fire spread across nearly half a mile.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed that 13 people were killed and 15 others injured, including workers and residents near the crash site. Four fatalities were on the ground, according to Fire Chief Brian O’Neill, while officials continue to identify the remaining victims. One of those killed was believed to be a child at a nearby auto parts business.
Witness Accounts and Ongoing Recovery
Hadžić’s daughter, Anela Hadžić, told the Daily Mail her father was shocked to see the aircraft “so low and catching wiring” moments before it exploded. He had just left the UPS yard where he worked on trailers for his trucking company, Balkan-Mar Express.
Rescue teams are continuing debris recovery and body identification at the site, with one runway still closed for investigation. The aircraft’s black box has been recovered, though its data is yet to be analysed due to heat damage.
Fifteen people were hospitalised with severe burns, blast injuries, and smoke inhalation, two of whom remain in critical condition, according to local reports.
