A UPS jet narrowly avoided a collision with another aircraft at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport early Tuesday morning. This incident comes on the heels of a tragic crash last year that resulted in 14 fatalities.
Details of the Near-Miss Incident
The Boeing 767 was arriving from Atlanta around midnight when it had to abort its landing. At the same time, a smaller SKQ-25 plane was taxiing on the active runway. Air traffic controllers were heard expressing concern over radio communications.
- Controller exclaimed: “Skylab two five stop” before instructing the UPS jet to go around.
- Audio recordings showed confusion in the control tower.
- UPS responded by executing the go-around maneuver successfully.
Michelle Polk, a UPS spokesperson, confirmed that the jet adhered to the go-around protocols effectively. While she was unable to detail how close the UPS aircraft was to landing, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representative stated that required separation was maintained throughout the incident.
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Background: The 2022 Cargo Plane Crash
This near-miss is particularly notable as it occurred five months after a fatal cargo plane crash at the same airport. In November 2022, a UPS cargo plane fully loaded with fuel crashed shortly after takeoff, creating a fireball and resulting in the tragic deaths of three crew members and 11 others.
Details from the Previous Crash
- Victims included:
- Capt. Richard Wartenberg, 57
- First Officer Lee Truitt, 45
- Capt. Dana Diamond, 62
- The plane crashed just 30 feet above the ground, with its left engine detaching.
- Initially reported fatalities were 14; however, one severely injured individual succumbed to injuries weeks later.
UPS Operations in Louisville
Muhammad Ali International Airport houses the UPS “Worldport,” a critical distribution hub processing over 2 million packages daily. The facility is capable of handling 416,000 packages an hour and employs around 20,000 individuals, making UPS the largest employer in the Louisville area.
This recent incident serves as a stark reminder of aviation safety as well as the ongoing importance of strict adherence to operational protocols within busy airports like Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International.
