UPS cargo plane crashes, explodes at Alabama airport

[IDemo]

Source: NBC News

A large cargo plane crashed early Wednesday morning near the airport in Birmingham, Ala., city police confirmed to NBC News.

The aircraft was a UPS Cargo Plane that crashed at about 6am at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said, and was an Airbus A330 coming from Louisville, Ky.

UPS has "been notified of an incident involving one of our aircraft near Birmingham," the company said on its official Twitter feed.

The crash caused at least two explosions and strewed debris across a long path, according to NBC News affiliate WVTM. The plane crashed in an open field owned by the airport, WVTM reported. Police said no homes were affected by the crash.

Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/14/20020990-ups-cargo-plane-crashes-explodes-at-alabama-airport?lite

[Shibainu]

2. Really?

N/T

[stonecutter357]

3. sick bastard

[madaboutharry]

4. That is a very inappropriate comment.

People could have died in this crash.

[MADem]

6. It would have been a miracle if the crew escaped.

It was a cargo plane, so there were no pax, but that was a major fireball.

[darkangel218]

7. Are you freaking serious???

Wtf????

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. Pilot and copilot killed

I hope your package is alright, though.

[liberal N proud]

10. I truly do feel saddness for the families of the crew

And I could give a shit about my package.

[MADem]

5. AIRBUS A300...it seems like a lot of those have been in the news lately.

This is the 13th accident in the database (not all are crashes, mind you--many accidents happen on the tarmac):

http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/aircraft_detail.cgi?aircraft=Airbus+A300

They showed footage of the crash on NBC this a.m., it was pretty brutal.

[csziggy]

8. UPDATE: 2 dead after UPS plane crashes in east Birmingham

UPDATE: 2 dead after UPS plane crashes in east Birmingham
Posted: Aug 14, 2013 6:29 AM EST Updated: Aug 14, 2013 8:59 AM EST

The pilot and co-pilot of a UPS plane were killed when their plane crashed while approaching an airport in Birmingham, Ala., early Wednesday, local media are reporting, citing Mayor William Bell.

The cargo plane, an A300 aircraft was en route from Louisville, Ky., when it crashed near a field, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in an email.

The pilot and co-pilot were the only people aboard the plane, company spokesman Jeff Wafford said. The crash happened at about 6 a.m., Bergen said.

Bell told al.com that no one on the ground was injured, which is fortunate he said, because there is a church and some homes about 500 yards from the debris field.

More: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/14/ups-plane-crash-alabama-airport/2651491/

[loudsue]

11. Makes me wonder if one of the packages was carrying explosives....or some similar scenario.

It makes me wonder about that, with all the crazy shootings and things going on: Seems like there are just more crazy people coming totally unhinged lately.

This is so terribly sad. Those two pilots were killed in this plane crash, and you know there are lots of people who loved them.

[LizW]

12. Clipped trees and power lines

Local news folks are tweeting pictures of downed power lines and tree debris on a residential street just north of the field where the plane crashed. This is a hilly area overlooking the airport and it's amazing that the plane ended up in the field and not in middle of a neighborhood.

[wtmusic]

13. Asiana replay?

Sounds like a similar scenario.

[Major Nikon]

15. A bit different

Short flight vs long flight
Severe weather involved vs no severe weather involved
Low cloud ceilings vs no clouds

[gopiscrap]

14. this why I would rather send my stuff through the post office

UPS is private company and doesn't give a shit about safety or it's employees...just making money that's all that matters to them and any other private business.

[hack89]

17. The USPS depends on private companies

mail is either flown on commercial airlines or trucked cross country by private contractors.

[Pterodactyl]

18. Gopi Scrap, you have no idea what caused this accident. At this point no one does.

We don't know if scrimping on safety caused the crash or not and it is really not a good idea to jump to conclusions like that.

[mentalsolstice]

16. I live just 2 miles from B'ham International

There has been a lot of contention between the Airport Authority and residents for years about safety (air and ground) and property values. My heart goes out to the families of the two families.