A UPS plane has crashed at the airport in Louisville, Kentucky ... and the massive explosion created a huge fire in the area.

According to authorities ... the plane crashed at about 5:15 PM local time shortly after taking off for Honolulu.

There is currently a shelter in place for the area within five miles of the airport ... as police assess how many people are injured. It's unclear if there were any casualties.

UPS said three crewmembers were on board, WLKY-TV reports .

The plane, identified as a McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, is a freight transport aircraft, according to CNN .

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is home to UPS's worldwide air hub ... with over two million packages a day passing through.

It's unclear what caused the crash ... but the National Transport

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