LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Newly released Louisville police footage shows officers helping people get to safety during the deadly UPS plane crash, along with aerial views of the early destruction.

Fifteen people, including three pilots, died after UPS Flight 2976 crashed trying to take off from Louisville's Airport.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, built in 1991, went down around 5:15 p.m. Nov. 4 after its left wing caught fire. The plane was fully loaded with fuel for the nine-hour flight to Honolulu from UPS Worldport at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report said the plane's left engine caught fire and detached during takeoff. In that report the agency's investigation revealed the part that secured the engine showed "fatigue cracks."

Investigators say the UPS plane got only 30 feet into the air before it crashed and burst into flames, hitting several businesses just south of the airport.

LMPD body cam footage

Louisville police released two videos of officers on the ground during the chaos.

The first video shows officers moments after the crash, directing people who were near the site to safety. They told some people to leave their vehicles and get to safety if they couldn't drive from the area.

You can see the heavy cloud of smoke nearby where the officers are checking on people. 

Officers are seen helping people near the UPS plane crash site.

Helicopter aerial view

An LMPD helicopter showed the scale of the damage caused by the crash, with a thick black cloud of smoke filling the air as the fire continued to burn.

"Just the devastation, none of us ever have seen a plane crash like that before," LMPD Chief Pilot Officer Jason Sattich said. "Grade Lane and Melton were cut off by the fire, the best thing we could do, there were people trapped by the fire so it was to get help to them working with our dispatch working with fire departments, working with trucks to get to the waste management site and into the side side of that fire. That was our most important task immediately after the crash."

The helicopter gave an aerial view of the ongoing fire.

The identifies of the 15 victims:

  • Capt. Dana Diamond, 62
  • Capt. Richard Wartenberg, 57
  • First Officer Lee Truitt, 45
  • Angela Anderson, 45
  • Carlos Fernandez, 52
  • Louisnes Fedon, 47
  • Kimberly Asa, 3 (granddaughter of Louisnes Fedon)
  • Trinadette "Trina" Chavez, 37
  • Tony Crain, 65 
  • John Loucks, 52
  • John Spray Jr., 45
  • Matthew Sweets, 37
  • Ella Petty Whorton, 31
  • Megan Washburn, 35
  • Alain Rodriguez Colina, 50

Related Stories: 

15th victim of deadly UPS plane crash in Louisville identified

Businesses near Grade Lane make progress after deadly UPS plane crash

911 calls reveal panic, chaos after deadly UPS plane crash in Louisville

Louisville officials report progress, ongoing work at still active UPS plane crash site

One month later: Deadly UPS crash leaves lasting mark on Louisville community

UPS plane that crashed in Louisville showed 'fatigue cracks' and 'overstress failure,' NTSB finds

Victims' families file wrongful death lawsuits in UPS cargo plane crash

Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.

Â