The left engine of a UPS plane caught fire during takeoff and immediately detached, officials in Kentucky said Wednesday, leading to a horrific crash and the deaths of at least 12 people.
Investigators have recovered the cockpit flight recorder and the flight data recorder, National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said, in hopes of finding out more about Tuesday's tragic accident just outside of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
CCTV footage shows the left engine detaching from the wing during takeoff, Inman told reporters.
"The plane lifted off and gained enough altitude to clear the fence at the end of runway 17 R. Shortly after clearing that fence, it made impact with structures and the terrain off of the airport property," Inman said.
A young child is believed to be among the dead, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday. He said that the number of deaths could rise, and "there are a handful of other people that we're still searching for."
Beshear said Wednesday morning that 16 families have reported loved ones who were unaccounted for. No survivors are expected to be found at the crash site, he said.
“I don’t know how many victims we’re actually looking for. That’s one of the issues,” Okolona Fire District Chief Mark Little told reporters on Wednesday.
“And the debris zone is so large, so trying to get people back there and with the debris zone, some of that debris is going to have to be moved and searched underneath, so it will take us quite a while.”
UPS Flight 2976 was heading for Honolulu when it crashed, officials said. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, had three crew members on board, according to the FAA.
A spokesperson for the mayor's office said Wednesday evening that a 12th person had died. It wasn’t immediately clear how many were killed on board the plane and the death toll of those on the ground.
Heather Fountaine, a spokesperson for the University of Louisville Health, said that it had received 15 patients from the crash across several hospitals and that as of Wednesday morning, 13 had been discharged.
Two people were still in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Jason Smith, the chief executive of University of Louisville Health and a trauma surgeon at the University of Louisville Hospital, said at a news conference. He added that of the 15 patients received, they were treated for burns and blast and shrapnel injuries.
Video from the crash shows a large fireball and smoke plume erupting from the crash site. The plane had around 38,000 gallons of fuel on board, according to officials.
“Louisville looked apocalyptic last night,” Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., said during a separate press conference with Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. “The images of smoke coming over our city, of debris falling in every neighborhood, people trapped in their homes, for the families who lost someone who won’t be coming home. This is awful.”
Beshear said he declared a state of emergency to allow for the greater movement of resources and aid, including the Kentucky National Guard.
Sean Garber, who owns one of the businesses struck by the explosion, Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling, said four of his company's 18 buildings were destroyed by the blast. The crash also affected Kentucky Petroleum Recycling.
"There was a huge ball of fire and massive multiple explosions occurring all around and obviously people running and screaming," Garber told NBC News.
He estimated that at least 20 people were in the buildings at the time of the explosion.
"People had to jump out windows of some of the offices because the heat had melted and blocked the doors," Garber added.
Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, a second company whose properties were damaged in the explosion, declined to comment.
The airport was closed Tuesday after the crash but reopened Wednesday.
UPS said in a statement Tuesday that it was "terribly saddened" by the crash.
"Our heartfelt thoughts are with everyone involved," the company said. "UPS is committed to the safety of our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. This is particularly true in Louisville, home to our airline and thousands of UPSers."
The company is the largest employer in the Louisville metro area, with more than 25,000 of its employees based there.
UPS calls the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport "the centerpiece of the company’s global air network," with roughly 400 of its flights arriving and departing each day.
UPS said that some of its employees should not report to work Wednesday and urged family members seeking information to call 800-631-0604. A UPS spokesperson directed NBC News to the company's media page for updates when asked a series of questions.
The last crash involving UPS occurred in 2013, when a cargo plane crashed near Birmingham, Alabama, killing two pilots.
The plane that crashed Tuesday narrowly missed Stooges Bar & Grill, where at least six employees and nearly two dozen customers were gathered when the tragedy unfolded about 100 yards away, witnesses said.
A regular customer had just barked at bartender Kyla Kenady, 29, to bring him a beer outside. She had poured the drink and was stepping outside to playfully yell at that patron when Stooges suddenly went dark.
“The power went out so I looked back into the bar. Then as I turned around again to go outside, I saw the plane go down in flames,” Kenady told NBC News.
“It was the perfect view, the most terrifying view," she said. "I panicked and started screaming to everybody inside, the plane was crashing and everyone ran outside. It was like a movie. It wasn’t real.”
Beshear said the restaurant is now assisting with search-and-recovery efforts and had opened its doors to first responders.
“We’re grateful for them,” Beshear said. “Another blessing is that this plane could have potentially hit the major Ford factory or the convention center.”
Stooges owner Debbie Self, 76, first opened the restaurant in 1983 and cited divine intervention for keeping her place and customers safe.
“God wrapped his arms around my building,” Self said. “A 100 yards and the whole building would have been gone and everybody in it.”
