Air Crash Archives - Aviation Today

Louisville, United States: A UPS wide-body cargo aircraft burst into flames and crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, killing seven people including all three crew members and injuring 11 others on the ground, officials confirmed. The tragedy unfolded around 5:15 p.m. local time (Nov. 4) when UPS Flight 2976, an MD-11 freighter bound for Honolulu, went down shortly after departure. Video captured by local CBS affiliate WLKY showed one of the aircraft’s wings ablaze moments before it plunged to the ground, erupting into a massive fireball. The impact ignited several fires in nearby industrial buildings, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the evening sky. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said four people on the ground were killed and 11 others hospitalized, while Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warned the toll could rise, noting that some survivors sustained “very significant” injuries. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for residents within a five-mile radius of the airport as crews battled fires late into the night. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff and confirmed debris scattered across two runways. Preliminary findings indicate one of the plane’s three engines may have separated midair before impacting a detail that will be central to the investigation. “That airplane should have flown on two engines,” said aviation safety expert John Cox, calling the blaze “too big for a normal engine fire.” The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation and has dispatched a team to the crash site. The board typically takes 12 to 24 months to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations. FAA records show the 34-year-old MD-11, built by McDonnell Douglas before its merger with Boeing, joined the UPS fleet in 2006. Boeing, which no longer manufactures the model, expressed condolences and said it would provide technical assistance. Flight data from Flightradar24 indicated the jet climbed to 175 feet and reached 184 knots before entering a sharp descent. The aircraft had earlier completed a round trip from Louisville to Baltimore before preparing for its scheduled 8½-hour flight to Honolulu. UPS confirmed all three crew members aboard were killed but said it was still working to verify the extent of ground casualties. In a service alert, UPS said delivery schedules “may be affected” by the closure of the airport, home to the company’s Worldport hub, the largest package-handling facility in the world. “Contingency plans are in place to help ensure shipments reach their destinations as quickly as conditions permit,” the company said. Louisville’s identity is deeply tied to UPS, which employs 26,000 people in the region. “This is a UPS town,” said Metro Council member Betsy Ruhe, whose district includes the airport. “My heart goes out to everybody at UPS. Everyone here knows someone who works there and tonight, some of those texts checking in on loved ones will go unanswered.”

Probe Underway After UPS Cargo Jet Crashes in Louisville, Killing At Least Seven

Aviation Today News Desk / November 5, 2025

Louisville, United States: A UPS wide-body cargo aircraft burst into flames and crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali […]

Alberton, South Africa: A routine training flight turned into a near-tragedy on Sunday afternoon when a light aircraft crashed into the tuckshop of Hoërskool Alberton in the City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. Both the student pilot and the instructor miraculously escaped without injuries, while no learners or staff at the school were harmed. The aircraft experienced engine failure during a final evaluation flight for a private pilot licence. The instructor attempted an emergency landing on the school’s rugby field, but the plane veered off and struck the school’s tuckshop. Images from the scene showed extensive damage to the small building, with firefighters and emergency responders quickly arriving to secure the crash site. The City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services confirmed that no fire broke out after impact, and both occupants were able to walk away from the wreckage. Eyewitnesses reported hearing the sound of a struggling engine moments before the aircraft went down. “We heard the engine sputter, then a loud thud. It was terrifying,” said a resident living near the school. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has opened an investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the reported power loss and assess whether any mechanical or procedural failures contributed to the crash. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said the accident will not disrupt ongoing matric examinations. "We are relieved that there were no casualties. Classes and exams will continue as planned," the department said in a statement. Aviation experts say the outcome was “nothing short of a miracle,” crediting the instructor’s quick decision-making for preventing a greater tragedy in a densely populated area. The aircraft type, registration number, and operator have not yet been disclosed by authorities pending the official SACAA preliminary report. Recent Light Aircraft Crashes in Africa 2025 16 October 2025: Two light aircraft crashed in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands region (Howick / Nottingham Road); two pilots died. 13 October 2025: 20-year-old Indian pilot trainee Piyush Pushp died during a solo training flight at Johannesburg in Vulcan Aviation Academy in South Africa. 14 August 2025: A light aerobatic aircraft (Extra 300, registration ZS-AEC) crashed into the sea off Durban North Beach during an airshow; pilot killed (body later found). 7 August 2025: A light aircraft operated by AMREF Flying Doctors (Cessna 560XL) crashed in Mwihoko estate, Kiambu County, Kenya; six people killed (four onboard + two on the ground). 9 June 2025: In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a light aircraft crashed near Greytown during a training flight; three people on board died. 18 May 2025: A light aircraft (Rans S10 Sakota, registration ZS-WXE) crashed shortly after take-off at Middelburg Airfield, Mpumalanga, South Africa; two people died (the pilot and passenger).

Aircraft Crashes

Student Pilot & Instructor Survive After Engine Failure Crash At Hoërskool Alberton

Aviation Today News Desk / October 27, 2025

Alberton, South Africa: A routine training flight turned into a near-tragedy on Sunday afternoon when a light aircraft crashed into

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Aircraft Crashes

Three Killed As Light Aircraft Crashes And Catches Fire After Take-Off At Shellharbour

Aviation Today News Desk / October 11, 2025

Sydney, Australia: A light aircraft crashed shortly after take-off at Shellharbour Airport on Saturday morning, killing all three people on

Helicopter Crash

Man Dead & 19-Year Old Critically Injured After Fatal Helicopter Crash at Bankstown

Aviation Today News Desk / October 3, 2025

Sydney, Australia: A fatal helicopter crash occurred at Bankstown Airport in Sydney’s south-west on Friday, when the helicopter Crashed into

Accidents, Aircraft Crashes, Incidents, United States

Columbia County Plane Crash Kills Six After Weather Diversion, Follows Hudson River Tragedy

Aviation Today News Desk / April 14, 2025

Picture Credits: Peter Bakema (Image for representation only) New York, U.S.A: A tragic plane crash in Columbia County on April

Graubuenden police confirmed that an Extra EA-400 plane crashed near La Punt Chamues-ch, Switzerland, 2 mins after departing Samedan Airfield | Aviation Today

Airplane Crashes

A Denmark-bound Aircraft Crashed in Switzerland, Killing All Three Passengers On board

Aviation Today News Desk / March 19, 2025

Picture credits: X (@inteltower) Switzerland: A small aircraft en route to Denmark crashed in the Swiss Alps, resulting in the

Washington: January 30 – A tragic mid-air collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter is feared to have claimed several lives on the evening of January 29, 2025, near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The collision resulted in both aircraft plummeting into the Potomac River | Aviation Today

Airplane Crashes

Washington Crash: 67 Killed in Plane-Helicopter Collision

Aviation Today News Desk / January 30, 2025

Picture credits: To respective owners Washington: January 30 – A tragic mid-air collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and

New information regarding the tragic crash between a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft that occurred on January 2, 2024, at Tokyo's Haneda Airport have been revealed in a recent report issued by government authorities. Voice recordings from the cockpit show that the Coast Guard pilots mistook their ability to access an active runway in the final moments before the accident, indicating serious misunderstandings between the cockpit crew and air traffic controllers | Aviation Today

Airplane Crashes

Human Error Behind Deadly Haneda Airport Crash: New Report by Japan Transport Safety Board

Aviation Today News Desk / December 28, 2024

Image source: Wikipedia Tokyo: New information regarding the tragic crash between a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 and a Japan Coast

A horrible event happened on Monday, November 25th, when a DHL Boeing 737-400 cargo plane crashed mere feet from Vilnius International Airport in Lithuania. The plane, which was traveling from Leipzig, Germany, struck a residential house after veering off course during the landing approach.

Airlines

DHL Boeing 737-400 Cargo Plane Crashes Near Vilnius Airport

Aviation Today News Desk / November 26, 2024

Image from X account – FL360aero Lithuania, November 25: A horrible event happened on Monday, when a DHL Boeing 737-400

Air Crash

Probe Underway After UPS Cargo Jet Crashes in Louisville, Killing At Least Seven

Student Pilot & Instructor Survive After Engine Failure Crash At Hoërskool Alberton

Three Killed As Light Aircraft Crashes And Catches Fire After Take-Off At Shellharbour

Man Dead & 19-Year Old Critically Injured After Fatal Helicopter Crash at Bankstown

Columbia County Plane Crash Kills Six After Weather Diversion, Follows Hudson River Tragedy

A Denmark-bound Aircraft Crashed in Switzerland, Killing All Three Passengers On board

Washington Crash: 67 Killed in Plane-Helicopter Collision

Human Error Behind Deadly Haneda Airport Crash: New Report by Japan Transport Safety Board

DHL Boeing 737-400 Cargo Plane Crashes Near Vilnius Airport

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