The morning after a UPS jet crashed at Muhammad Ali Louisville International Airport an ambulance leaves the scene, Nov. 5, 2025.

LOUISVILLE, KY – The death toll in a catastrophic airplane crash that sent a United Parcel Service aircraft into a ball of flames has risen to nine on Wednesday as authorities continue search and rescue and investigate a cause, officials said.

The UPS plane was departing for Honolulu from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport when it crashed at about 5:15 p.m. local time Tuesday, authorities said. Video of the crash showed flames on one of the plane's wings, and a huge fireball erupting as the aircraft hit the ground.

The three crew members aboard the plane were killed in the crash, according to authorities. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said at a late-night news conference that four fatalities were confirmed on the ground, and 11 other people who were injured had been taken to local hospitals. Two others were found deceased by first responders at the scene, Greenberg and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said early Wednesday.

"Right now these families need prayers, love and support. Let’s wrap our arms around them during this unimaginable time," Beshear said.

Search and rescue was still underway Wednesday morning, and at least 16 families at a reunification center have loved ones unaccounted for, Beshear said. The death toll is expected to grow, he added.

"Anybody who has seen the images and the video know how violent this crash is, and there are a lot of families that are going to be waiting and wondering for a period of time,” Beshear said Tuesday.

The cause of the crash wasn't immediately clear, and 28 members of the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to arrive in Louisville on Wednesday morning to investigate alongside the Federal Aviation Administration.

Flames from the crash sparked a string of fires in the industrial zone adjacent to the airport, which is home to UPS Worldport, an international air hub that’s the “largest fully automated package-handling facility in the world,” according to the company. The hub serves more than 300 daily inbound and outbound flights, and processes about two million packages every day.

Following the incident, the airport halted operations through Tuesday night. UPS also announced that it had stopped operations, including package sorting, at the facility.

Is the Louisville airport open?

The Louisville airport is “expected to be available for passenger and cargo operations” on Wednesday, spokesperson Natalie Chaudoin said in a statement.

Delays and cancellations are still likely, and travelers who are scheduled to depart from or arrive at the airport should monitor their flight status, she said.

"Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky has reopened but multiple taxiways remain closed," the FAA said in an update Wednesday morning.

According to FlyLouisville’s website, some flights departing from SDF are delayed, with flights from the evening of Nov. 4 now scheduled throughout the morning. Over 10 flights scheduled to depart from SDF have been canceled. No flights arriving at SDF have been canceled

The airfield was closed Tuesday night, the airport previously said. Runway 1129 was open and all departing flights were canceled for the night, Jonathan Biven, a public safety officer for the Louisville airport, said Tuesday.

Kentucky schools closed Wednesday after UPS plane crash

Kentucky's largest school system canceled classes on Wednesday in response to the crash and fire. The closure came because of shelter-in-place orders given on Tuesday for the area near the airport.

Jefferson County Public Schools, which serves roughly 93,000 students and has more than 17,000 employees, said students are not expected to do instructional work remotely, and employees are not expected to report to work. Extracurricular activities were also canceled.

- Krista Johnson, Courier Journal

'You could feel the heat of it': UPS driver witnessed UPS plane crash

Damon Fortner, 58, a long-haul UPS truck driver, told USA TODAY on Tuesday he was driving near the airport to pick up a load of packages when he saw the plane fly over a nearby road. "That’s awful low," he said.

Seconds later, it exploded, barely 100 yards from where he stopped his pickup. He watched the plane take down telephone poles and power lines as it left a trail of fire.

“It blew up. And it just kept on. All you could hear was stuff blowing up, and black smoke everywhere,” he said. “You could feel the heat off it.”

“I’ve never in my life seen anything like it,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t ever want to see anything like it.”

All he could think about were the poor souls who were on the plane, he said. “It tears me up.”

- Chris Kenning, USA TODAY

Employees from nearby businesses have been accounted for

Employees of businesses that were affected by the crash were all accounted for, according to Greenberg. The mayor added that officials were not aware of any missing people late Tuesday.

"They have accounted for the individuals that they're aware of in terms of their employees or people that were on their property," Greenberg said. "Either accounted for them alive or as some of those four victims."

Earlier on Tuesday night, Beshear said authorities believe the main area hit by the crash included two businesses: Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Auto Parts.

Kentucky Petroleum Recycling was "hit pretty directly," according to the governor. As for Grade A Auto Parts, Beshear said the business had accounted for all of its employees except for two people.

"Because of the nature of these facilities, it may be some time before we can account for everyone or know that no one else was on the grounds," Beshear said.

Contributing: Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UPS plane crash investigation underway; at least 9 dead, 11 injured: Live updates

Reporting by Thao Nguyen, Jeanine Santucci and Caroline Neal, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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