Three dead as US cargo plane crashes on take-off, triggering massive fireball

A cargo plane with three crew on board has crashed on take-off from the main airport in Louisville, Kentucky, with video showing widespread fire consuming buildings near the airport and smoke billowing into the sky.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said there had been at least three fatalities from the “catastrophic crash”, and he believed that number would rise. It was not immediately clear who the confirmed fatalities were.

There were also 11 injuries, “some very significant”, Beshear said. “Again, I think that number will get larger”.

The flight, UPS2976, was a wide-body McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft bound for Honolulu, Hawaii. Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville is UPS’s worldwide hub.

The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash occurred on take-off about 5.15pm on Tuesday (9.15am AEDT) and would be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Bureau.

UPS said three crew members were on board. “At this time, we have not confirmed any injuries/casualties,” it said. “UPS will release more facts as they become available.”

Beshear said the crash impacted at least two businesses on the ground in an industrial area – Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts.

He said that while there was no specifically hazardous cargo on board the aircraft to create additional danger on the ground, “the site and where it impacted could create those kinds of situations.”