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SIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. MARIA STEPHANOS. AND I’M ED HARDING. LET’S TAKE YOU BACK THERE. POLICE SAY THAT INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THERE IS A SHELTER IN PLACE ISSUED WITHIN A FIVE MILE RADIUS OF THE AIRPORT. WE’VE GIVEN YOU THE FACTS THAT WE KNOW OF THEM RIGHT NOW. SO JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS AVIATION EXPERT TOM CLINTON. TOM, FIRST, GOOD EVENING. AND SECOND, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, WHAT ARE YOUR EYES. WHAT IS YOUR EXPERT. WHAT ARE YOUR WHAT IS YOUR MIND TELLING YOU? WELL, THIS LOOKS LIKE OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR CONFLAGRATION INVOLVING A JUMBO CARGO AIRCRAFT, REPORTEDLY AN MD 11, WHICH IS A VERY LARGE AIRCRAFT, PROBABLY A LOT OF FUEL ON BOARD BECAUSE THAT’S A LONG RANGE JET. SO IT’S PROBABLY GOING A LONG DESTINATION. SO A LOT OF FUEL. AND THAT’S WHAT YOU SEE BURNING RIGHT NOW. AND YOU KNOW, THE THINGS TO BE CONCERNED WITH IS YOU GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT AIRCRAFT WAS CARRYING. COULD BE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON BOARD. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE TAKING THAT KIND OF PRECAUTIONS BY PUTTING A FIVE MILE SHELTER IN PLACE, WHICH IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK. AND THAT’S I WANTED TO TOUCH ON THAT. IT IS IT IS AN INTERESTING DETAIL TO EMERGE FIVE MILE RADIUS. WE’RE NOT WE’RE NOT TALKING 500FT. WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HALF A MILE. WE’RE TALKING A FIVE MILE RADIUS. SO THAT IS AN ALARMING FACT FOR, YOU KNOW, IT IS IT MAY BE PRECAUTIONARY UNTIL THEY FIND OUT WHAT’S ON BOARD BECAUSE CARGO AIRCRAFT AT TIMES DO CARRY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. ONCE THEY GET A MANIFEST AND GET A CONFIRMATION ON WHAT’S ON BOARD, YOU MAY SEE THAT REDUCE IN SIZE. IT ALSO MAY BE THAT WAY BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF FLAMES INVOLVED AND EXPLOSIONS THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW. RIGHT. AND THAT’S HOW THIS WHOLE THING CAME IN. THOMAS, YOU’RE LOOKING YOU WERE JUST LOOKING AT CHOPPER FROM OUR SISTER STATION THERE. W-L-K-Y IT’S A HEARSE STATION. AND AND THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT THERE. AND YOU’VE HAD A 35 YEAR CAREER. YOU WERE THE HEAD OF MASSPORT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. AND WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WHAT, LIKE ED WAS ASKING, WHAT DOTS ARE YOU CONNECTING RIGHT NOW? AGAIN, IT’S A RESCUE EFFORT. NOW. IN ADDITION TO A CONTAINMENT ISSUE. SO DON’T KNOW WHAT’S INVOLVED ON THE GROUND. NOT A LOT OF PASSENGERS ON A CARGO AIRCRAFT, BUT THERE ARE SOULS ON BOARD SOMETIMES THAT CAN RANGE FROM THREE IN THE COCKPIT. SOMETIMES THEY CARRY RELIEF CREW. IF IT’S A LONG DISTANCE AIRCRAFT. SO IT COULD BE AS MANY AS SIX ON BOARD. THEY’LL HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT ONCE THEY GET THE MANIFEST, BUT THERE’S A LOT OF CONCERNS ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF WHERE DID IT GO INTO TO GO INTO A POPULATED AREA AND SO FORTH. SO THEY HAVE TO FIGURE ALL THAT OUT AND GET A RESCUE EFFORT. THIS IS ALL RESCUE RIGHT NOW. THERE’LL BE, YOU KNOW, CONTAINMENT AFTER THAT, AND THEN THERE’LL BE AN INVESTIGATION. OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE WHEN I LOOK AT IT, TOM, I, I DON’T SEE ONE SPOT WHERE THE FIRE IS. I SEE I SEE MULTIPLE SPOTS. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS THAT AN INDICATION OF. DID DID THE PLANE STRIKE AND MOVE FORWARD. DID IT DID IT GO. DID IT LAND ON ANOTHER BILL? IS IT JUST THAT’S THAT’S A LARGE FIELD OF OF OF FLAMES THAT WE’RE LOOKING AT RIGHT HERE. YEAH. I MEAN, AND IT WAS RIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF SPEED INVOLVED AND IT’S LOW ALTITUDE. SO IT MAY HAVE BEEN COMING DOWN INSTEAD OF A NOSE IN ATTITUDE, WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT THE WRECKAGE IN FLAMES IN ONE SPOT. IT MAY BE INDEED WHAT YOU JUST SAID. IT BOUNCED ALONG THE GROUND PERHAPS, AND HIT SEVERAL THINGS AND SPREAD THE FIRE ALONG A PATH OF DESTRUCTION RATHER THAN A NOSE IN ATTITUDE. JUST SOME SOME INFORMATION THAT WE’RE GETTING IN. SO? SO THE LOUISVILLE MUHAMMAD ALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS APPARENTLY THE WORLDWIDE AIR HUB FOR UPS. AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THERE’S A SHELTER IN PLACE THAT’S BEEN THAT’S BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL LOCATIONS WITHIN FIVE MILES OF THIS AIRPORT. AND THEY’RE RESPONDING TO REPORTS. WHAT THEY’RE CALLING AS A PLANE CRASH. THEY HEARD THIS HUGE EXPLOSION. AND THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT PRIMARILY PRIMARILY FLOWN BY FEDEX EXPRESS. LUFTHANSA CARGO AND USPS AIRLINES FOR CARGO IN THAT AREA. BUT AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, THIS IS LITERALLY JUST HAPPENED. SO WE DON’T HAVE ANY CONFIRMATION OF EXACTLY WHAT PLANE WE’RE LOOKING AT. WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED. ALL WE CAN TELL YOU IS THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE, THESE REALLY POWERFUL, DEVASTATING IMAGES RIGHT HERE FROM KENTUCKY. YEAH. AGAIN, IT’S ALL EARLY REPORTING AND A LOT OF SPECULATION, BUT I PICKED UP ON MY CONTACTS THAT IT WAS AN MD 11, WHICH AGAIN IS A WIDE BODY. I DON’T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, TOM. AN MD 11 IS GIVE THE VIEWERS AT HOME PERSPECTIVE. IS IT IS IT THE SIZE OF A 747? IS IT THE SIZE OF A, YOU KNOW, A NORMAL JETBLUE FLIGHT YOU MIGHT GET ON OR WHATEVER? HOW BIG IS THAT PLANE? IT’S IN BETWEEN A NORMAL JETBLUE AND A 747. IT’S GOT IT’S AN IT LOOKS LIKE A DC TEN. IF PEOPLE REMEMBER THE OLD DC TEN WITH THE NUMBER TWO ENGINE ON THE TAIL AND THEN TWO ENGINES, ONE ON EACH WING. AGAIN, A CONSIDERED A WIDE BODY AIRCRAFT CAN AND CAN CARRY A LOT OF CARGO, AND AN MD 11 IS A VERSION OF THE DC TEN. AND IT’S A LARGER VERSION OF THE DC TEN. SO AGAIN, A LOT OF FUEL ON BOARD AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS CARRYING. I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING. YOU DID BRING UP A FEW MINUTES AGO, A LARGE PLANE WHICH COULD BE CARRYING A LOT OF CARGO LIKELY DIDN’T HAVE IT HAD PASSENGERS. THERE WERE PEOPLE ON BOARD, OBVIOUSLY, BUT DIDN’T HAVE A GREAT NUMBER. IT DIDN’T HAVE 135 PASSENGERS ON THE PLANE RIGHT? CORRECT. THAT AIRCRAFT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE A CREW OF THREE OPERATING IT. BUT AS I SAY, IF IT’S A LONG HAUL FLIGHT GOING MORE THAN TEN HOURS OR SO, IT WOULD HAVE A RELIEF CREW. AND SOMETIMES UPS USES THAT AIRCRAFT TO FERRY EMPLOYEES AROUND THE NETWORK. SO IT COULD BE UPWARDS OF 6 TO 7 ON BOARD. BUT AGAIN, THE MANIFEST WILL DICTATE WHAT THAT WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. TOM, THE RESPONSE HERE THAT WE CAN SEE JUST FROM THIS IMAGE FROM OUR SISTER STATION THERE, FROM THEIR HELICOPTER IS REMARKABLE. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU THAT YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH. THESE ARE THESE ARE INCIDENTS THAT YOU PREPARE FOR AND TAKE US THROUGH THOSE MOMENTS. HOW HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR THE RESPONSE IS CORRECT IN A CASE LIKE THIS? WELL, IN A CASE LIKE THIS, IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE OFF THE AIRPORT. SO THE AIRPORT MAY BE RESPONDING WITH SOME OF ITS APPARATUS TO HELP THE AS A MUTUAL AID EFFORT TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITIES INVOLVED. AGAIN, I CAN’T TELL BY LOOKING AT THIS WHETHER IT’S ON THE AIRPORT. IT APPEARS IT’S MOST LIKELY OFF THE AIRPORT. SO YOU WOULD AS A AIRPORT, BE IN AN MODE HERE TO HELP THE COMMUNITIES INVOLVED BY SENDING FOAM AND WHATNOT TO THE TO THE SCENE. BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE THE AIRPORT MAY BE STILL OPEN AND YOU HAVE TO REMAIN WITH YOUR INDEX IN PLACE, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE FIRE APPARATUS AT THE AIRPORT IF IT’S STILL OPEN, THE AIRPORT’S CLOSED, THEN YOU CAN SEND A LOT OF APPARATUS TO THE SCENE TO ASSIST. AND AGAIN, THE AIRPORT MAY BE ASSISTING THE COMMUNITIES WITH GETTING TO UPS TO FIND OUT. AGAIN, THE MANIFEST SOULS ON BOARD CARGO THAT IT WAS CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND WHATNOT. BUT BUT, TOM, AS YOU AS YOU SPEAK, THE HELICOPTER IS PULLING BACK AND IT REVEALS A A JUST A SIZABLE FIELD OF DESTRUCTION. AND YOU CAN SEE THE LINE THAT IT’S IN, BUT IT IS LONG AND IT EXTENDS OUT. SO IF IT’S IF IT’S OFF PROPERTY, THEN THEN THAT OPENS ANOTHER CAN OF WORMS. IN OTHER WORDS, IS THIS IN A IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA OR WHERE OR A PROFESSIONAL AREA OR A COMMERCIAL AREA? EXACTLY. AND COMMUNITIES LIKE THAT, HONESTLY ARE NOT PREPARED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THIS IS SOMETHING COMMUNITIES DON’T HAVE HAPPEN EVERY DAY, IF AT ALL. SO THEY’RE VERY ILL PREPARED. THEY’LL SEND WHAT THEY HAVE. BUT AS I SAY, THEY’RE GOING TO ASK THE AIRPORT, I’M SURE, FOR ASSISTANCE. YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY JUST JUST TWEETED A SHORT TIME AGO, WE ARE KENTUCKY. WE ARE AWARE OF A REPORTED PLANE CRASH NEAR LOUISVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. FIRST RESPONDERS ARE ON SITE. WE WILL SHARE MORE INFORMATION AS AVAILABLE. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PILOTS, CREW AND EVERYONE AFFECTED. WE WILL SHARE MORE SOON. AND AGAIN, WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT IS JUST JUST AN INCREDIBLE SCENE. AND TOM AGAIN, 35 YEAR CAREER IN AVIATION. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THAT THAT STOPS YOUR HEART AND YOU THINK, OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE. YES. AND AS I SAY, THE FUEL ISSUE AND I KEEP SAYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS BECAUSE THAT’S A CONCERN. BUT THE FUEL ON AN AIRCRAFT LIKE THAT IS SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA OF 300,000 POUNDS OF FUEL, IF IT’S GOING ON A LONG HAUL DISTANCE, A 747, BY COMPARISON, GOING, YOU KNOW, OVERSEAS IS PROBABLY CARRYING SOMETHING LIKE 400,000. AND THIS AIRCRAFT IS PROBABLY IN THAT RANGE, 300 TO 350,000 POUNDS OF FUEL. THAT’S A LOT OF FUEL AND A LOT OF FIRE. AND THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE SEEING. YOU MENTIONED ALSO EARLIER IN OUR CONVERSATION THAT THAT THIS IS THIS THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF. RIGHT. SO THE FUEL WOULD BE FULL. IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE A WHOLE HEAVY LOAD AND READY TO GO. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THIS HAPPENED. EXACTLY, EXACTLY. IT’S IT’S THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME TO, TO DEAL WITH AN AIRCRAFT FULLY LOADED WITH FUEL LIKE THAT. AND THAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS ON TAKEOFF. TOM CLINTON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOR BRINGING YOUR EXPERTISE TO TO THE FOCUS ON ON AN ABSOLUTE THIS, THIS, THIS BROKE AT THE MOMENT WE CAME ON THE AIR. SO THIS THIS IS BREAKING AT THE MOMENT. YOU WERE LOOKING AT THE RAW PICTURES AS WE LOOK AT THE RAW PICTURES. TOM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPERTISE AND ALL YOUR ALL YOUR INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE BEFORE WE GO TO BREAK THE USPS. JUST TWEETED USPS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF AN INCIDENT ACCIDENT INVOLVING ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT, THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, OR UPS. UPS. PARDON ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CORRECTING ME. SO UPS HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF AN INCIDENT. ACCIDENT INVOLVING ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. AND THEY’RE GOING TO POST UPDATES SOON. AND THEN THE FAA CONFIRMING THAT THAT UPS THE FLIGHT 2976 CRASHED JUST ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO, AFTER DEPARTING FROM THE AIRPORT, AND IT WAS HEADING TO THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN HONOLULU. AND THE FAA AND NTSB