Tragic Twist of Fate as Mother Visits Scrapyard Alone
A 45-year-old mother is feared dead after being caught in the devastating blast radius of the UPS cargo plane that crashed during takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, killing twelve people.
Angela Anderson, a mother-of-two, remains missing after she went to dump metal at a salvage yard at the exact moment UPS Flight 2976 erupted into a massive fireball on Tuesday.
Emergency services are losing hope of finding any survivors from the inferno that consumed the enormous aircraft and spread to nearby businesses, including the scrapyard where Ms Anderson had chosen to visit that afternoon.
Boyfriend's Fateful Decision
Her boyfriend, Donald Henderson, 55, revealed he was supposed to have accompanied her to the scrapyard but decided against it because he felt too tired after a long day at work.
"We've been meaning to do it, but I've been working every day," Henderson told WDRB. "I told her I'd take her and it was 4:30pm. I was like: 'It's too late by the time we get over there.'"
The mother reportedly told him she would "take care of it" and proceeded to make the trip alone. She hasn't been heard from since the catastrophic incident.
Catastrophic Chain of Events
According to Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, a large fire developed in the plane's left wing after it was cleared for takeoff.
The aircraft managed to gain enough altitude to clear the perimeter fence before crashing just outside the airport boundaries, creating a devastating ripple effect across the surrounding area.
The crash triggered secondary explosions at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling and struck Grade A Auto Parts, the salvage yard where Ms Anderson was believed to be. Tragically, a child who died in the disaster was with a parent at the auto parts business at the time.
Eyewitness Accounts of Terror
Summer Dickerson, who works near the crash site, described the initial confusion: "I didn't know if we were getting attacked. I didn't know what was going on."
Kyla Kenady, a bartender at Stooges Bar and Grill, recalled the terrifying moment the disaster unfolded: "I saw a plane in the sky coming down over top of our volleyball courts in flames. In that moment, I panicked. I turned around, ran through the bar screaming, telling everyone that a plane was crashing."
Manager Lynn Cason reported that explosions approximately 100 yards away shook the building three times - "like somebody was bombing us" - though miraculously, no one at the establishment was injured. "God was definitely with us," Cason remarked.
Growing Death Toll and Recovery Efforts
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced on social media platform X on Wednesday evening that the death toll had risen to twelve, urging people to "please take a moment to hug your loved ones and check on your neighbours."
Authorities have indicated they expect the death toll to increase further, with crews searching for a "handful of other people" but admitting they "do not expect to find anyone else alive."
Mark Little, chief of the Okolona Fire District in Louisville, explained that the recovery operation would be lengthy as debris needs to be carefully moved and searched, stating: "It will take us quite a while."
University of Louisville Hospital confirmed that two people remain in critical condition in their burn unit, while eighteen others have been treated and discharged from that hospital and other healthcare centres.
