Local News
Video shows moment UPS Cargo plane crashes in Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jefferson County) — Dramatic video footage has surfaced showing the moment a UPS cargo aircraft, identified as Flight 2976, crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, November 4, around 5:15 p.m. local time.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, operated by United Parcel Service (UPS), was en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, when it went down near Grade Lane and Fern Valley Road, less than two miles from the airport.
The footage shows the aircraft descending rapidly before erupting in a massive explosion upon impact, igniting multiple fires and causing significant damage to several nearby buildings.
Emergency radio communications confirm the plane struck a commercial structure, resulting in a partial building collapse and widespread fire conditions.
Within minutes, the Louisville Fire Department escalated the response to a third alarm, requesting additional firefighting units, hazardous materials teams, and foam suppression trucks to battle the intense flames fueled by aviation fuel.
Crews began search-and-rescue operations inside the damaged building while evacuating nearby structures and securing power lines in the area.
Louisville Metro Police have confirmed that there are victims, though the number and identities have not yet been disclosed.
Aerial footage from local news outlets shows firefighters working amid heavy smoke and debris as large sections of the impacted buildings remain engulfed in flames.
In light of potential hazards from debris and toxic fumes, Louisville authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for all locations within a five-mile radius of the airport.
Residents and businesses are urged to stay indoors and avoid the area to allow emergency crews to operate safely.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control shortly after departure.
Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations into the crash. The NTSB will lead the investigation and release official updates as more information becomes available.
UPS released a brief statement confirming the incident, stating that the company is cooperating fully with authorities and that its “primary concern is the safety and well-being of our employees and the surrounding community.”
Emergency response teams remain on scene as investigators begin assessing the wreckage and gathering flight data to determine the cause of the crash.
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.