A UPS cargo plane carrying three crew members crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday evening, erupting into flames and sending thick black smoke billowing over the area.The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft, bound for Hawaii, went down around 5:15 pm local time (3:45 am IST), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.According to CNN, Kentucky governor Andy Beshear confirmed at least three fatalities and 11 injuries, warning that “that number is going to get larger.” He added that some of the injuries were “very significant.” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said earlier that there were “multiple injuries and the fire is still burning,” noting that “every emergency agency” was responding to the scene.Beshear urged people to pray that casualties remain low. “Let’s pray that the number of Kentuckians, or any other folks that we lost, stays as low as possible,” he said. “Anybody who has seen the images in the video know how violent this crash is, and there are a lot of families that are going to be waiting and wondering for a period of time.”UPS confirmed that three crew members were on board, saying, “we have not confirmed any injuries/casualties.” The company said it was working with authorities to gather more information.Video footage from local broadcaster WLKY appeared to show the aircraft’s left engine on fire as it attempted to lift off. Aerial visuals from the scene showed a long trail of debris with firefighters battling the blaze.Louisville serves as the main US air hub for UPS, which operates nearly 2,000 flights daily to over 200 countries. The logistics giant has a fleet of 516 aircraft, including 294 owned planes and the rest under leases or charters.The crash occurred as the United States continues to face a prolonged government shutdown that has disrupted aviation operations. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy earlier warned of “mass chaos” due to a shortage of air traffic control staff. “You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers,” Duffy said.In a post on X, Duffy described footage of the crash as “heartbreaking,” adding, “Please join me in prayer for the Louisville community and flight crew impacted by this horrific crash.”In January, an American Eagle airliner collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Washington’s Ronald Reagan Airport, killing 67 people — ending a 16-year streak without fatal commercial air crashes in the United States and raising concerns about the strain on the nation’s air traffic control system.(With inputs from AFP and CNN)