A large UPS cargo plane crashed and exploded Tuesday while taking off from an airport in Louisville, Kentucky, leaving at least three people dead and 11 injured.
Those numbers are expected to grow, the governor said. The plane crashed about 5:15 p.m. as it was departing for Honolulu from Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
“We’re asking all Kentuckians to pray for those that have been impacted,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told The Associated Press.
A shelter-in-place order has been issued for all locations within 5 miles of the airport and asks the public to avoid the area until further notice, Louisville Metro Emergency Services said.
UPS plane crashes near Louisville Airport. Credit: Bryan Sanderfer
Mayor Craig Greenberg told WLKY-TV that fuel on the plane was an “extreme reason for concern in so many different ways.”
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport announced on social media at 5:36 p.m. local time that the airfield was closed after “an aircraft incident.”
Injuries have been reported, the Louisville Metro Police Department said in a social media post.
UPS has a large presence in Louisville. UPS Air Operations is headquartered in the city, where it also has its main hub.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the FAA said.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.
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Free agency will be fully underway soon now that the Fall Classic has ended. Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, coming off a 56-homer campaign, is the headliner of this offseason’s free agent class, but he’s far from the only big name set to hit the open market.
So, from the top players who could be available to how the qualifying offer works and more, here’s everything you need to know about MLB free agency:
When does MLB free agency start?
Players scheduled to hit free agency officially became free agents the day after the World Series ended. At that time, teams were able to re-sign their departing free agents.
But players can’t sign with a new club until 5 p.m. ET on the fifth day after the World Series ends.
When is the MLB option deadline?
The exercising of a player, club or mutual option must occur within five days following the conclusion of the World Series.
What is a qualifying offer in MLB?
Teams have five days after the World Series to extend qualifying offers to their departing free agents. A team can only extend a qualifying offer to a player who hasn’t received one before and spent the entire 2025 season on its roster.
The qualifying offer is a one-year deal with a value equal to the mean salary of MLB’s 125 highest-paid players, and a player has until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 18 to accept it.
Should a player reject the qualifying offer and then sign with a new club in free agency, the team who lost the free agent will receive a compensatory draft pick. A club that signs a rival player who rejected a qualifying offer is subject to the loss of at least one draft pick.
How much is the MLB qualifying offer worth?
This year’s qualifying offer is worth $22.025 million.
Who are the top 2026 MLB free agents?
Here’s a look at the top players who could hit free agency (listed alphabetically by last name, all contract details via Spotrac):
Josh Naylor, a trade deadline pickup from Arizona, hit three homers with a .967 OPS across 12 games in the 2025 playoffs. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)
Free agency will be fully underway soon now that the Fall Classic has ended. Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, coming off a 56-homer campaign, is the headliner of this offseason’s free agent class, but he’s far from the only big name set to hit the open market.
So, from the top players who could be available to how the qualifying offer works and more, here’s everything you need to know about MLB free agency:
When does MLB free agency start?
Players scheduled to hit free agency officially became free agents the day after the World Series ended. At that time, teams were able to re-sign their departing free agents.
But players can’t sign with a new club until 5 p.m. ET on the fifth day after the World Series ends.
When is the MLB option deadline?
The exercising of a player, club or mutual option must occur within five days following the conclusion of the World Series.
What is a qualifying offer in MLB?
Teams have five days after the World Series to extend qualifying offers to their departing free agents. A team can only extend a qualifying offer to a player who hasn’t received one before and spent the entire 2025 season on its roster.
The qualifying offer is a one-year deal with a value equal to the mean salary of MLB’s 125 highest-paid players, and a player has until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 18 to accept it.
Should a player reject the qualifying offer and then sign with a new club in free agency, the team who lost the free agent will receive a compensatory draft pick. A club that signs a rival player who rejected a qualifying offer is subject to the loss of at least one draft pick.
How much is the MLB qualifying offer worth?
This year’s qualifying offer is worth $22.025 million.
Who are the top 2026 MLB free agents?
Here’s a look at the top players who could hit free agency (listed alphabetically by last name, all contract details via Spotrac):
Josh Naylor, a trade deadline pickup from Arizona, hit three homers with a .967 OPS across 12 games in the 2025 playoffs. (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)
