UPS plane crash witnesses recall chaos and repeated explosions: 'Felt like an atomic bomb'
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Witnesses to the deadly UPS plane crash near Louisville described scenes of chaos and panic as explosions rocked nearby businesses and fire engulfed the area moments after takeoff on Tuesday, November 4.
Georgie Dow, the chief financial officer of Grade A Auto Parts, located just south of Louisville International Airport, said she felt the heat and heard a series of blasts after UPS Flight 2976 went down, killing at least 13 people and leaving several others missing.
Witnesses describe ‘explosion after explosion’
“It was explosion after explosion after explosion, so you just didn’t know when it was going to stop,” Dow told CBS News. “It’s chaos, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. What’s the next thing? What’s going to blow up? It’s scary.”
Dow recalled hearing people screaming for coworkers and seeing melted clothing on some employees. “It was so hot. You took a step back because it was like heat in your face. There was no going to help,” she said.
Nearby business owner Sabit Aliyev, of Kentucky Truck Parts and Services, said the impact felt like “an atomic bomb” that knocked him off his feet. “We were trapped behind our business. We couldn’t run to the street because the fire was all over,” he said.
Sean Garber, who owns a nearby scrap metal recycling company, said three of his employees remain missing as investigators and emergency crews continue sifting through the wreckage. “One of our guys had to jump between bales of metal as the heat came over him,” he recalled.
Another worker saw a customer whose clothes had been completely burned off and carried him to safety, Garber added.
Dow, who was “severely distraught,” video-called Garber moments after the blast. His son Joey, who works at the yard, was with her during the explosion. Cellphone footage captured by Joey shows flames and smoke consuming nearly half a mile of the industrial area.
Fiery crash caught on camera
The UPS cargo plane, carrying up to 20,000 packages and 38,000 gallons of fuel, was traveling at about 200 mph when it crashed shortly after takeoff. Videos show the left wing of the MD-11 aircraft engulfed in flames before it tilted to the left and exploded into a massive fireball.
NTSB board member J. Todd Inman confirmed that the plane’s left engine had separated from the fuselage before impact. “We’ve identified the plane’s black boxes, which suffered some fire damage, but specialists will be able to get a good readout of applicable data,” he said.
Officials said the aircraft slammed into multiple businesses, including Garber’s scrap metal yard and a nearby petroleum recycling facility that was “hit pretty directly,” according to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
As recovery efforts continue, Dow said the tragedy made her reflect deeply on life. “I think about my family. I think about my kids,” she said. “You think about what was the last moment I had with this person. Would that have been the last moment that they’re going to remember? I think about how I want to act going forward. I could have died yesterday.”
Officials said the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the cause of the crash and is expected to release preliminary findings in the coming weeks.
