A large UPS cargo plane crashed near an airport in Birmingham, Ala., shortly before dawn, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday.
The pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash, Birmingham Mayor William Bell said. There were no reports of additional injuries.
The plane, an A300 en route to Birmingham from Louisville, crashed on its approach to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport at approximately 6 a.m. EST. According to flight-tracking service FlightAware.com, the plane took off from Louisville International Airport at 5:04 a.m. and was in the air for approximately 45 minutes.
According to Birmingham's WVTM-TV, the cargo plane went down in an open field owned by the airport. Neighbors told the network they heard "a large boom and then several other explosions." Fire and smoke could be seen rising from a field in photos and video from local news outlets.
A spokeswoman for the airport said the crash occurred outside the airport's perimeter and no other flights were affected.
According to Birmingham's WVTM-TV, the cargo plane went down in an open field owned by the airport. Neighbors told the network they heard "a large boom and then several other explosions." Fire and smoke could be seen rising from a field in photos and video from local news outlets.
A spokeswoman for the airport said the crash occurred outside the airport's perimeter and no other flights were affected.
The crash and the loss of the two pilots is bad enough, but can you imagine the "mess" this causes, lost overnight shipments, "precious" documents lost, countless other losses, I can just imagine the "wheels" that start spinning when they hear ...... "Plane Down" ... I wonder how many people get involved ..............
