Ford temporarily halts Kentucky plant operations after deadly UPS plane crash
UPS Flight 2976 was traveling to Hawaii when it crashed near Louisville facility
UPS cargo plane crash sparks massive fire in Louisville, Kentucky
A UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, caused a large fire and massive plumes of black smoke Tuesday afternoon. (Credit: Secretary Sean Duffy via X)
Ford temporarily suspended operations at its Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP) in Kentucky on Tuesday after a UPS cargo plane crashed nearby, killing eleven people and injuring nearly a dozen others.
UPS Flight 2976, carrying three crew members, went down around 5:14 p.m. ET Tuesday shortly after taking off from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, located near the automaker’s plant.
"A partial crew will work this evening to prepare operations at Louisville Assembly Plant to resume full production," Jessica Enoch, director of manufacturing and labor communications at Ford, told FOX Business in an email.
Ford has not received any reports of employee injuries, Enoch said.
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The Ford Motor assembly plant in Louisville, Ky. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Immediately following the crash, LAP employees were instructed to shelter in place before ultimately being evacuated. Power to the facility was also shut off as a safety precaution, according to The Courier Journal.
"Louisville Assembly Plant employees went home [Tuesday night] after the controlled power outage took effect across the local area," Enoch told FOX Business.
Ford's assembly plant in Louisville, Ky., is located near where a UPS flight crashed after takeoff. (Michael Swensen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Production remained paused at LAP through Wednesday’s day shift due to the controlled power outage, Enoch said.
Located on Fern Valley Road, LAP produces the Ford Escape and has "played a major role in Ford’s production footprint for decades," according to Ford's website.
In August, the company announced a $2 billion investment in LAP to assemble an electric pickup truck, and the vehicles will be available to consumers in 2027.
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Ford's LAP produces the Escape and has "played a major role in Ford’s production footprint for decades," according to the automaker's website. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was en route to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu at the time of the crash, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said.
The aircraft was loaded with more than 200,000 pounds of fuel, resulting in a massive fireball explosion, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.
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"The tough news continues today as the death toll in Louisville has now risen to at least 11, and I expect it to be 12 by end of the day," Gov. Andy Beshear posted to X on Wednesday. "Even harder news is that we believe one of those lost was a young child. These are all children of God taken far too soon. Let's continue to pray for their families and loved ones during this heartbreaking time."
FOX Business' Alexandra Koch and Pilar Arias contributed to this report.