More details have emerged about the cargo aircraft involved in the crash near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky on Tuesday. The aircraft was a 34-year-old McDonnell Douglas MD-11F, according to fleet data and public aviation records.
The jet first entered service in 1991 with Thai Airways and was later transferred to UPS in 2006, where it operated as a dedicated cargo freighter. UPS had previously confirmed that it plans to gradually retire its MD-11 fleet over the next decade as part of a long-term aircraft renewal program.
The MD-11, produced between 1988 and 2000, was built as a wide-body long-range aircraft. It measures about 61 metres in length with a 52-metre wingspan. For comparison, a Boeing 747 — the most widely recognised large commercial jet — is around 76 metres long with a 68-metre wingspan.
The aircraft was operating as UPS Flight 5X2976 / UPS2976 when it crashed shortly after takeoff, with three crew members on board. Multiple emergency crews remain at the scene as firefighting continues due to fuel-fed fires in the crash zone.
Investigators are expected to review maintenance history, flight data, and other operational records as part of the inquiry into the incident.
More updates will follow as verified information becomes available.
