Flightradar shows UPS cargo plane crashing on take-off at Kentucky airport

A screen recording of the flight tracking service Flightradar showed the flight path of the UPS cargo plane before it crashed on Tuesday (November 4) after take-off at a Louisville airport in Kentucky with three crew members on board, Reuters reports.

At least three people were killed and 11 injured after the UPS wide-body cargo plane crashed, erupting into a massive fireball shortly after takeoff, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said on Tuesday.

The death toll was expected to rise, Beshear said at a press briefing.

UPS Flight 2976 was en route to Honolulu when it crashed around 5:15 p.m. local time (2215 GMT) on Tuesday, after departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

UPS confirmed on Tuesday that one of its wide-body cargo planes had crashed in Louisville, and video from local television channels showed the aircraft erupting in a massive fireball shortly after takeoff.

The Louisville airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the delivery firm's air cargo operations and its largest package handling facility in the world. The Louisville airport said the airfield was closed after the incident.