Local News
Terrifying Footage Captures Moment UPS Flight 2976 Crashed Near Louisville Airport
LOUISVILLE, KY — Dramatic video has surfaced showing the moment UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft, crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, November 4.
The crash resulted in at least three fatalities and eleven injuries, according to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who warned that “the number is going to get larger” as rescue and recovery operations continue.
The aircraft, operated by UPS and carrying three crew members, went down at approximately 5:15 p.m. local time, shortly after departing for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.
The plane crashed near Grade Lane and Fern Valley Road, causing a massive explosion that ignited multiple fires and led to the partial collapse of a commercial building.
First responders arrived to a scene of extensive devastation, with flames engulfing several structures and heavy black smoke visible from miles away.
Emergency crews issued a third-alarm response, calling for additional resources, including foam units to control aviation fuel fires.
Power to the area was cut off as a safety precaution, and search operations were launched to locate anyone trapped in surrounding buildings.
Police confirmed multiple victims at the scene, and unverified reports suggested as many as 25 people may have been trapped in a building near 4564 Knopp Avenue.
A shelter-in-place order remains in effect for all residents within a five-mile radius of the airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the downed aircraft as UPS Flight 2976, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken charge of the investigation.
Both agencies will coordinate to determine the cause of the crash, with the NTSB expected to provide official updates in the coming days.
In a statement, UPS confirmed that the flight had three crew members on board and said that efforts are underway to contact family members.
“At this time, we have not confirmed any injuries or fatalities among our employees,” the company said. “We are working closely with authorities and will release verified information as it becomes available.”
Adding to the growing concern, a woman identifying herself as the wife of a UPS pilot contacted a local news station, expressing fear that her husband was among those on board.
She stated that he was scheduled to depart Louisville around the same time as Flight 2976 and that she has been unable to reach him since the crash.
Aerial footage shows the wreckage of the MD-11 engulfed in flames, with large secondary explosions occurring moments after impact.
Emergency crews can be seen battling the fires and evacuating nearby facilities as heavy equipment works to clear debris.
The Louisville Metro Police Department, along with fire and hazmat units, remain on scene conducting search and rescue efforts. Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area until further notice.
Louisville’s UPS Worldport facility, one of the largest air logistics hubs in the world, serves as the central hub for UPS’s global operations.
The 5.2 million-square-foot complex handles more than 300 daily flights and processes approximately 400,000 packages per hour, employing over 20,000 workers in the Louisville metropolitan area.
Governor Beshear issued a public statement following the crash:
“Kentucky, we are aware of the reported plane crash near Louisville International Airport. First responders are on site, and we will share more information as it becomes available. Please pray for the pilots, crew, and everyone affected.”
As the investigation unfolds, local, state, and federal agencies continue to coordinate emergency response operations, while families of UPS employees await official confirmation regarding the fate of those on board.
UPDATE: Search efforts have been suspended following the sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, marking another tragic loss for the city’s historic fishing community.
The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted early Friday morning by the vessel’s emergency beacon after it activated in the water; no mayday call was received.
Responders located a debris field, an unoccupied life raft, and one deceased individual in the water.
Six other crew members remain missing and are presumed lost after an extensive air and sea search yielded no additional results.
The Coast Guard cited frigid water temperatures, challenging weather conditions, and the vast search area in its decision to suspend operations.
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Authorities have identified all seven individuals who lost their lives after the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean sank approximately 25 miles off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, early Friday morning, marking a devastating loss for Gloucester’s historic fishing community.
The Lily Jean, a commercial fishing vessel measuring between 72 and 80 feet in length and homeported in Gloucester—the nation’s oldest working fishing port—activated its emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at approximately 6:50 a.m. Friday while returning to port.
No mayday call was received, and subsequent attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful.
The U.S. Coast Guard immediately launched a large-scale search and rescue operation, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and multiple surface assets to the area of the distress signal.
Crews located a debris field and an unoccupied life raft roughly 25 miles offshore near the EPIRB activation site, confirming the vessel had sunk to the ocean floor. One deceased individual was recovered from the water.
The remaining six crew members were later presumed lost after extensive search efforts yielded no additional results.
Officials confirmed that seven people were aboard the vessel at the time of the incident, revising earlier reports that indicated six.
The seven individuals who perished aboard the Lily Jean are:
- John Paul Rousanidis, 33, of Salem/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Sean Therrien, 44, of Lynn/Peabody, Massachusetts
- Freeman Short, of the Marshfield/Scituate area
- Captain Gus Sanfilippo, a well-known and respected Gloucester fisherman
- Paul Beal Sr., deckhand
- Paul Beal Jr., deckhand and son of Paul Beal Sr.
- Jada Samitt, 22, of Virginia
Jada Samitt, the seventh crew member identified, was serving aboard the vessel in the role of a federal fisheries observer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She had recently relocated to Massachusetts to pursue her passion for environmental biology, graduating last year. Family members said joining the Lily Jean crew was her first major professional role at sea and a lifelong dream.
Her aunt, Heather Michaels, described Samitt as a compassionate and driven young woman who deeply respected her captain and dedicated herself fully to her work. “She put her heart and soul into this opportunity,” family members said, noting her commitment to marine conservation and the fishing community.
Officials said the Lily Jean had reported taking on water shortly before contact was lost.
The vessel is now presumed fully submerged.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through Gloucester’s close-knit maritime community.
Ashley Sullivan, a local business owner who knew the vessel’s owner, emphasized the daily risks faced by commercial fishermen. “I hope people really take a moment to understand the sacrifices these men and women make to put food on our tables,” she said. “This is heartbreaking.”
Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr also expressed condolences, highlighting Gloucester’s deep fishing heritage. “Gloucester has a long fishing history, and that history includes tragic loss,” Tarr said. “It appears we are experiencing another of those painful chapters.”
Governor Maura Healey released a statement saying she was “heartbroken over the devastating news out of Gloucester,” adding that her administration has offered full assistance to local officials and the Coast Guard. She extended prayers to the victims’ families and the broader fishing community across Cape Ann and the Commonwealth.
Community members and local businesses have continued to share messages of remembrance and solidarity. Taylor Hunt, a relative of Freeman Short, posted a tribute honoring the crew, writing in part: “The salt has been in our blood for generations… A man is not lost while the sea remembers his name. Fair winds and following seas.”
The Lily Jean had previously been featured on the History Channel series Nor’Easter Men, which documented the dangers and demands of New England’s commercial fishing industry.
While search operations have concluded, the Coast Guard and relevant agencies continue to review the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Officials have stated that further updates will be released as additional information becomes available.
Authorities have urged the public to keep the victims’ families and Gloucester’s fishing community in their thoughts and prayers during this period of profound loss.