Seven people were killed and eleven were injured when a large UPS plane exploded as it took off from a Louisville, Kentucky airport on Tuesday.
The MD-11 plane exploded around 5.15pm as it departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, heading toward Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, the Federal Aviation Authority announced.
Terrifying video shared to social media showed the aircraft attempting to takeoff with a ball of fire emanating from its left wing. Just moments later, the plane exploded.
Dashcam footage also showed the plane crashing back into the runway, leaving a blaze in its wake.
It struck two local businesses - Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and Grade A Autoparts, which Governor Andy Beshear said accounted for all of its employees except for two who were later found.
There were three crew members onboard the flight at the time, UPS officials have confirmed. But it is unclear whether the fatalities were members of the crew.
'From the videos I've seen, I'm very concerned for them, but I'm still praying,' Beshear said at a news conference Tuesday night. 'It may be some time until we can account for everyone,' he warned.
The plane was also fueled with 38,000 gallons at the time, due to the lengthy trip to Hawaii - sparking a massive fire that spread to cover five miles.
At least two victims remained in critical condition Tuesday night as the governor warned the number of fatalities and injuries 'is going to get larger.'
Locals had reported hearing a loud explosion as the businesses were struck, with Louisville Metro Police spokesman Matt Sanders telling WDRB the department received 20 calls for service as debris fell out of the sky.
'It fell out of the sky when I was working on the car, and that's when we found out abut the crash,' Justin Dunn told KKTV as he held up a piece of charred paper.
'And then my son was like, "Hey look up in the sky" and it was coming down out of the sky when he picked it up.'
Other witnesses also reported finding Hawaiian-style dresses that are believed to have come from the plane, according to WAVE.
'There's definitely debris all through here, probably within 10 miles,' Dunn said.
Louisville Metro Police then announced on social media that several agencies are responding to the scene south of the airport as authorities urged community members to avoid the area.
They said it remained an active scene with 'smoke and debris', as they issued a shelter-in-place order which at one point covered much of the city.
'Please remain away from the area until further notice,' the police department urged as authorities secured the buildings.
The airport remained closed Tuesday night, and those with scheduled flights on Wednesday are urged to check their flight status as travel chaos continues nationwide.
Those who found debris were also urged not to touch it and instead fill out a form.
Meanwhile, operations were halted at UPS Worldport, the company's largest shipping and logistics facility globally, which processes two million packages each day, through Wednesday.
Employees who work on the company's Next Day Air sort were even told not to report to work, the Louisville Courier Journal reports.
'We are terribly saddened by the accident tonight in Louisville. Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved,' the company said in a statement.
'UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve,' it added. 'This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers.'
It added that it is 'engaged' with the National Transportation Safety Board investigation and are 'staying in close contact' with the FAA.
'We will work tirelessly with state and local authorities on response efforts,' the company vowed.
Amid the tragedy, Mayor Craig Greenberg said he and his wife, Rachel, are praying for the victims.
'We have every emergency agency responding to the scene,' he said on social media. 'There are multiple injuries and the fire is still burning.
'There are many road closures in the area - please avoid the scene.'
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also asked the public to 'please join me in prayer for the Louisville community and flight crew impacted by this horrific crash.'
He added that the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA 'are mobilizing to get on the ground and will lead the investigation'.
The explosion came just hours after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats are making air travel unsafe by forcing air traffic controllers to go without pay through the longest government shutdown in US history.
She urged just five Democrats in the Senate to join Republicans in voting for a 'clean continuing resolution' to extend funding for the government and make sure that Americans who control plane movements at US airports are paid going into the busiest travel season of the year.
This week, federal workers with control centers are set to miss their second paycheck since the start of the shutdown.
But travelers at three major US airports were already facing hours-long delays on Tuesday as staffing shortages worsen on the 35th day of the shutdown.
According to multiple flight alerts, the Houston and Phoenix air traffic centers implemented Ground Delay Programs, effectively slowing the rate of arrivals to prevent overload in the control system.
At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the FAA set the arrival rate at just 40 flights per hour, compared to typical peak rates closer to 70.
The advisory lists average delays of 40 minutes and maximums topping one hour and 40 minutes, stretching across all major departure zones in the US.
At nearby William P Hobby Airport (HOU), the situation is even worse, with the FAA limiting arrivals to only 16 flights per hour and maximum delays nearing three hours.
The restrictions apply to flights departing from every major regional control center in the contiguous US, meaning ripple effects could extend far beyond Texas.
In Phoenix, controllers at Sky Harbor International Airport are also slowing incoming flights.
The FAA set a rate of 40 arrivals per hour, citing the same staffing shortage. Average delays are hovering around 45 minutes, with some flights waiting over an hour and a half to land.
The programs are in place through the early hours of Wednesday morning, potentially affecting hundreds of flights nationwide.
