UPS Plane Crash in Kentucky Adds to Deadly Year of Air Travel

Fire and smoke mark where a UPS cargo plane crashed near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 4. 

Photographer: Stephen Cohen/Getty Images

The crash of a United Parcel Service Inc. cargo jet on Tuesday jet has added to a growing number of deadly or near-catastrophic air incidents, in what is shaping up to be among the deadliest years in the past decade for civil aviation.

A UPS freighter jet crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky, killing three crew members and at least four people on the ground. At least 11 people were also injured, and the number of casualties is likely to increase, authorities said.