A harrowing video has surfaced capturing the moment a UPS aircraft, laden with fuel, crashed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday, erupting into a catastrophic fireball. The footage vividly illustrates the intense drama of the incident.

Filmed from within a vehicle positioned on a nearby road, the video reveals a towering column of black and gray smoke ascending skyward, a sight that could be witnessed from miles away. The stark imagery underscores the magnitude of the crash and its aftermath.

In a scene filled with chaos, the driver recording the footage can be heard exclaiming in disbelief as the flames rapidly engulf the remnants of the aircraft positioned on the runway. Just beyond the fiery wreckage, another plane is visible, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

As the UPS plane ignited while taking off from the Louisville airport in Kentucky, the fireball expanded with alarming speed, sending ripples through the air. In the background, the faint sound of emergency sirens adds an eerie soundtrack to the unfolding disaster.

The fireball expands rapidly, rippling through the air as emergency sirens wail faintly in the distance.

Fire and smoke mark where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Nov. 4, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. The fully fueled plane crashed shortly after takeoff. (Stephen Cohen/Getty Images)

Debris appears scattered across the tarmac as emergency crews rush toward the wreckage. 

The person filming also shouts in terror as the video captures the scale of the disaster before news of the crash sent shock through the community.

According to the FAA, the plane crashed around 5:15 p.m. during takeoff, bound for Honolulu.

The crash killed at least seven people and injured at least 11 others.

Black smoke and flames billow from the site of the UPS plane crash disaster in Louisville, Ky. (Jon Cherry/AP Photo)

“UPS Flight 2976, carrying three crew members, crashed at about 5:14 p.m. ET onto the roof of the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling building after departing from SDF,” Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Tuesday evening.

“At least two employees at nearby business Grade A Auto Parts are unaccounted for,” Beshear added, calling the incident “catastrophic.”

Both the FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the accident.

Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for nearby neighborhoods due to the heavy smoke and debris.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville Fire Department for comment.