13 individuals were killed with nine remaining unaccounted for after a Parcel plane crashed shortly after takeoff at the Louisville Muhammed Ali International Airport on November 4. Louisville Locals gathered on November 5 to commemorate the lives lost in the accident. 

The MD-11 aircraft cleared the runway just enough above the airport fencing. Shortly after, the plane collided with other structures off of airport property and crashed into the ground below. The plane was fully fueled, carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel, causing a massive fireball leaving a half mile-long debris field. The aircraft crashed into the Grade A Auto Parts and Scrap Metal Recycling campus. Owner Sean Garber stated in an interview with NBC that four of his 18 buildings were destroyed. Parts of the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling Center were also impacted from the blast, leaking toxic mixtures of motor oil and antifreeze into the surrounding environment. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking necessary measures to clean up the leakage. 

The crash occurred amidst the longest government shutdown in history, when air traffic controllers are working without pay. As other airports cancel and delay flights due to a lack of air traffic controllers, this accident has raised concerns regarding the critical staffing levels of airports across the nation. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated, “This is not an air traffic control issue. I want to be clear on that.”

The Louisville airport was fully reopened as of November 5 with all three runways operating at full capacity. Department of Transportation officials continue to investigate the accident diligently through black box data. Through the FBI’s investigation into the maintenance data, terrorism is not suspected as the cause.