Here’s the accident history on type of UPS cargo plane that crashed in Louisville

National Transportation Safety Board officials were on the ground Wednesday morning in Louisville after a UPS cargo plane crashed shortly after take off late Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 12 people, including three UPS crews members.

The crash occurred at about 5:20 p.m. Nov. 4, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department. The plane reached an altitude of about 175 feet and before rapidly descended, the New York Times reported, citing data from Flightradar 24.

The NTSB is expected to give a briefing later Wednesday on the status of the investigation, according to a post on X.

Shipping giant UPS said the plane was an MD-11, a McDonnell Douglas aircraft. The model is the largest three-engine, wide-body airliner in the world. It was first used as a passenger plane, though was later converted for cargo use, according to Boeing.

According to an online database of flight crashes by the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, a Geneva-based group that tracks airplane accidents, the MD-11 has been involved in 11 incidents resulting in more than 244 fatalities since 1993. Some involved pilot error or weather conditions, while other incidents were caused by electrical and mechanical problems.

Some notable crashes involving the McDonnell Douglas MD-11:

March 23, 2009

• FedEx Express Flight 80
• Tokyo
• Hard landing in windy conditions, leading the aircraft to bounce, flip and burn
• Two crew members killed

Nov. 28, 2009

• Avient Aviation Flight 324
• Shanghai
• Failed to achieve takeoff thrust due to incorrect crew operation of thrust levers. The aircraft overran the runway.
• Three crew members killed

Aug. 22, 1999

• China Airlines Flight 642
• Hong Kong
• Crashed while attempting to land in a typhoon, likely exceeding crosswind specifications.
• Three passengers killed

April 15, 1999

• Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316
• Shanghai
• Crew confusion over altitude led to an abrupt descent shortly after takeoff.
• Three crew members and five people on the ground killed

Sept. 2, 1998

• Swissair Flight 111
• Atlantic Ocean near Halifax, Canada
• In-flight fire caused by improper wiring of an entertainment system leads to loss of control.
• 229 (all on board) killed

July 31, 1997

• FedEx Express Flight 14
• Newark, N.J.
• Crash-landing caused by an unstabilized flare. The aircraft flipped onto its back and caught fire.
• Zero casualties

April 6, 1993

• China Eastern Airlines Flight 583
• Pacific Ocean (in-flight)
• Severe oscillations occurred when a crew member accidentally deployed slats during cruise.
• Two passengers died later of injuries

This story was originally published November 5, 2025 at 10:32 AM.

Beth Musgrave

Lexington Herald-Leader

Beth Musgrave has covered government and politics for the Herald-Leader for more than a decade. A graduate of Northwestern University, she has worked as a reporter in Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois and Washington D.C. Support my work with a digital subscription