Louisville, 6 Nov

A UPS cargo plane caught fire mid-air and crashed shortly after take-off in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least 12 people, including a child, officials said. The left engine of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 reportedly fell off moments before the aircraft exploded.

Governor Andy Beshear said chances of finding survivors were slim as emergency crews combed through the charred wreckage near UPS Worldport, the company’s global air hub. The blaze engulfed the massive plane and spread to nearby businesses.

Todd Inman of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the plane was cleared for take-off when a fire erupted in the left wing. “Airport security video shows the left engine detaching from the wing during the takeoff roll,” he said.

The cockpit voice and data recorders were recovered, and investigators located the detached engine on the airfield. “There are a lot of different parts of this airplane in a lot of different places,” Inman said, describing a debris field stretching over half a mile.

The plane, which had three crew members aboard, was bound for Honolulu when it went down around 5.15pm on Tuesday. The impact triggered secondary explosions at nearby facilities, including Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and an auto salvage yard, Grade A Auto Parts. The child who died was reportedly at the latter site with a parent.

Governor Beshear said it was a “blessing” the plane did not strike the nearby Ford Motor factory or convention centre. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg later confirmed the death toll had risen to 12, urging residents to “hug your loved ones and check on your neighbours.”

Two people remain in critical condition in the hospital, while at least 18 others were treated and discharged.

Witnesses described the crash as terrifying. “I saw a plane in the sky coming down over our volleyball courts in flames,” said bartender Kyla Kenady. “I panicked and ran inside screaming.” Another witness, Lynn Cason, said the explosions felt “like somebody was bombing us.”

Former crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti said several factors could have triggered the fire, including a partial engine detachment that ripped through fuel lines or a fuel leak that ignited.

He noted similarities with a 1979 crash in Chicago when an American Airlines jet’s left engine fell off during take-off, killing 273 people. Both aircraft used similar General Electric engines and had undergone heavy maintenance shortly before the crash.

The 1991-built UPS plane had been grounded in San Antonio from 3 September to 18 October, but it remains unclear what maintenance was conducted.

UPS said it was “terribly saddened” by the tragedy. Its Louisville hub employs more than 20,000 people, handling over 300 flights daily and sorting about 400,000 packages an hour.

The NTSB has launched a full investigation, which could take over a year to determine the cause of the fire and the engine failure.