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.”