On Tuesday, November 5, 2025, the skies above Louisville, Kentucky, were filled with chaos and tragedy as a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing at least 14 people and triggering a sweeping response from the world’s largest delivery companies. The incident, which involved a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F aircraft, not only gutted several buildings and closed the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport but also sent shockwaves through the global logistics industry, prompting UPS and FedEx to ground significant portions of their fleets out of what they called "an abundance of caution."
The doomed flight was headed for Honolulu and had just left the tarmac at UPS’s massive Worldport hub—a facility that handles 300 flights daily and sorts over 400,000 packages an hour. According to officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the triple-engine plane was carrying a staggering 38,000 gallons (about 255,000 pounds) of jet fuel and as many as 20,000 packages. As the aircraft accelerated down the runway at approximately 5:15 p.m., disaster struck: the left engine caught fire and detached from the wing, leaving the plane barely able to lift off. Within seconds, the MD-11 veered off course, slammed into a neighboring industrial area, and erupted in a massive fireball that engulfed several buildings.
Witnesses described the horror in vivid terms. Georgie Dow, chief financial officer of a nearby auto parts business struck by the plane, told CBS News, "It was explosion after explosion after explosion, so you just didn't know when it was going to stop. It was so hot ... You took a step back because it was like heat in your face. There was no going to help." The inferno that followed made rescue efforts perilous and complicated the search for victims. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, visibly shaken, offered words of comfort: "We pray for each of the victims' families and pray that no additional victims are lost." By Friday night, the death toll had climbed to 14, including all three crew members and at least eleven people on the ground, as search teams continued to comb through the charred remains of the crash site.
As details emerged, the NTSB began piecing together the sequence of events. Todd Inman, an NTSB official, explained that cockpit voice recorders captured a bell sounding about 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust. For the next 25 seconds, the pilots struggled to control the aircraft as alarms blared and the left wing burned. Inman noted that investigators have yet to determine why the bell rang, though the evidence points to the engine fire as the likely trigger. "They were likely past their critical decision speed to remain on the runway and stop safely," former federal crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti told The Associated Press. "They'll need to thoroughly investigate the options the crew may or may not have had." Dramatic video footage from phones, security cameras, and passing cars has given investigators multiple vantage points, but a full transcript of the cockpit recording is months away.
The MD-11 involved in the crash was no stranger to the skies. Built in 1991, the aircraft had started its life as a passenger jet with Thai Airways before being converted for cargo use and transferred to UPS in 2006. Flight records show it had recently undergone maintenance in San Antonio, Texas, where it was grounded for more than a month until mid-October. What work was performed during that time remains unclear, and the NTSB is investigating whether any maintenance issues contributed to the disaster.
The consequences of the crash rippled quickly through the industry. UPS announced late Friday that it would ground all of its MD-11 planes—about 9% of its air fleet—following the recommendation of Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. "We made this decision proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer," UPS said in a statement. "Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our employees and the communities we serve." FedEx, which operates 28 MD-11s out of a fleet of around 700, followed suit, stating, "Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to immediately ground our MD-11 fleet as we conduct a thorough inspection and safety review." Both companies emphasized that contingency plans were in place to minimize service disruptions, with UPS noting, "Contingency plans are in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the reliable service our customers around the world count on."
The MD-11 has a long and storied history. First entering service 34 years ago, the model was produced until 2000, with passenger service officially ending in 2014. Originally manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, the aircraft’s design and production were absorbed by Boeing after the two companies merged. The MD-11 remains a workhorse for cargo carriers, but its age and the demands of heavy freight have led to recurring scrutiny. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Western Global Airlines is the only other U.S. cargo carrier operating MD-11s, with 16 in its fleet—though 12 are already in storage.
The crash and subsequent grounding have raised questions about the future of aging cargo aircraft. While the investigation is ongoing, both UPS and FedEx have reassured customers and stakeholders that deliveries will continue. UPS Worldport operations resumed on Wednesday night, November 6, with its Next Day Air operation, and both companies are leveraging their integrated air-ground networks to keep packages moving. The Louisville hub, employing over 20,000 people and serving as the largest employer in the metro area, remains a critical node in global logistics. The airport itself, now a scene of tragedy, is a vital artery for the company’s worldwide operations.
For now, the focus remains on the victims and the search for answers. The NTSB, with support from Boeing and other federal agencies, is leading the investigation, combing through debris, maintenance records, and flight data to determine what went wrong and how similar tragedies can be prevented in the future. As Mayor Greenberg said in a video address, "We pray for each of the victims' families, and pray that no additional victims were lost as our first responders continue to search and seek answers."
The events in Louisville serve as a stark reminder of the risks inherent in air cargo operations and the importance of rigorous safety standards. As investigators work to unravel the causes of the crash, the broader logistics industry is left to grapple with the immediate impact—and the lessons that must be learned to keep the world’s supply chains running safely.
