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A UPS cargo plane had to abort its landing at a Kentucky airport on Tuesday to steer clear of another aircraft occupying the runway, as reported in an incident reminiscent of a previous fatal crash at the same location.
In the audio recording of the event, an air traffic controller is heard exclaiming, “What are you doing?” according to a report by FOX 43.
The UPS Boeing 767, arriving as flight 1303 from Atlanta, was instructed to abort its landing at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport early Tuesday morning due to the presence of a smaller plane on the runway, the source indicated.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that air traffic control had directed the UPS aircraft to execute a go-around maneuver after another plane unexpectedly entered the runway. The FAA assured that the required distance between the two aircraft was maintained.
In the audio, the controller is heard urgently instructing the smaller plane, Skylab 25, to halt before commanding the UPS jet to circle around.
A UPS Boeing 767 cargo plane approaches for landing. A similar aircraft was involved in a near-miss incident at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, according to reports. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
“Two-Five, stop!” the controller yelled, according to FOX 43. “SkyLab Two-Five, what are you doing?”
A UPS spokesperson told WHAS11 the aircraft “safely conducted a go around” during its approach and that there was no operational impact or injuries.
UPS spokesperson Michelle Polk said the maneuver, in which a plane discontinues its descent and circles back for another landing attempt, was carried out in line with standard procedure.
“Following standard procedures, a UPS aircraft safely conducted a go-around during its approach at the direction of air traffic control. There was no operational impact,” UPS said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows the aircraft descending to around 500 feet before climbing back to approximately 1,500 feet within a short span, FOX 43 reported.
Louisville’s UPS Worldport is the company’s largest package handling center in the world. The 5.2 million-square-foot hub serves as the center of UPS’ global air network.
UPS jets are parked at the Worldport package sorting complex at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Nov. 6, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (Darron Cummings/AP)
The close call comes just months after a UPS cargo crash at the same airport that killed 15 people.
In November 2025, a UPS MD-11 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all three crew members and 12 people on the ground. National Transportation Safety Board investigators said the plane’s left engine separated shortly after takeoff and caught fire. The aircraft reached only about 30 feet above ground before crashing.
The NTSB released photos of the UPS plane crash on Nov. 5 in Kentucky. (NTSB)
Surveillance footage showed the engine detaching from the wing before impact. Investigators found structural cracks in the engine mount that likely led to failure.
UPS grounded its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft after the crash, while the FAA ordered inspections and repairs for the model.
In a separate incident Thursday near Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, a small propeller plane landed in a field. Both people aboard were uninjured, according to WKYT.