A UPS plane with three crew members crashed after takeoff at the Louisville airport

The death toll following a UPS plane crash at a Louisville airport in Kentucky and subsequent explosion rose to seven on Tuesday night and that number was "expected to rise," Gov. Andy Beshear said on X.

The big picture: The UPS said the plane was carrying three people when it crashed shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Officials originally said the crash killed three people and injured 11.

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• Some people were very seriously injured and being treated at local hospitals and at least two businesses were hit "pretty directly," Beshear said at a Tuesday evening briefing.
• The status of the flight crew was not immediately known, but Beshear said he's "very concerned" for them after seeing videos of the crash.
• The Louisville Metro Police Department originally issued a shelter-in-place order that was expanded to all areas north of the airport to the Ohio River. This was later reduced to a one-mile radius around the airport, said Louisville Metro Emergency Services on X just before 9pm ET Tuesday.

Situation report: UPS flight 2976 was scheduled to fly from Louisville to Honolulu when it went down around 5:15pm local time, the FAA said on X.

• Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement posted to his social media channels that the plane was carrying 280,000 gallons of fuel when the crash happened.
• However, Beshear said at the briefing that there wasn't any "specifically hazardous" cargo on board, but warned nearby areas could be impacted by what could create an "environmental issue."
• Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Paul Humphrey said at the Tuesday evening briefing that the crash site will be "an ongoing active scene for the next several days."

What they're saying: "First responders are onsite, and we will share more information as available," Beshear said in his X post shortly after confirming he was en route to the crash scene.

• Greenberg said he's "praying for the crew" and thanked the "brave first responders who have flooded the scene to help try and control the fire" and support "any victims on the ground."
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on X described the crash images as "heartbreaking" and offered prayers for "the Louisville community and flight crew impacted by this horrific crash."

Heartbreaking images coming out of Kentucky tonight.

Here’s an update from @FAANews
- UPS cargo flight 2976
- Crashed around 5:15 ET after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport en route to Honolulu
- The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11.

Please… pic.twitter.com/yE1Brhv8cQ

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 4, 2025

Context: The Louisville airport is the worldwide air hub for UPS, measuring more than five million square feet and processing about two million packages per day.

What we're watching: The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, providing all major updates with the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration, per an FAA post to X.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.