(NewsNation) — The Louisville mayor’s office said Wednesday the death toll from a UPS cargo plane crash near Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport has risen to 12, including a child.
While the mission, according to the governor, has shifted from a rescue to a recovery operation, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said the black box has been recovered.
A UPS cargo plane traveling to Honolulu crashed shortly after takeoff on Tuesday at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport. Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the death toll is expected to grow.
“I’m now fairly confident that that number will grow by at least one,” Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday. “We hope it doesn’t grow by too many more.”
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said it was a mechanical issue, as opposed to an air traffic control error.
Search and recovery efforts are expected to continue for at least a week because the debris field is so large, officials said.
At least 16 families have reported their loved ones unaccounted for.
“This is not something that will go away overnight. We know that your pain will continue for days, months, years ahead. And so we are here to support each and every one of you,” Greenberg said at a news conference Wednesday.
The University of Louisville health system received 15 patients from the crash, and two remained hospitalized Wednesday morning, a spokesperson told NewsNation. Those two were described as being in “critical condition” in the burn unit.
A fireball erupts near airport property after reports of a plane crash at Louisville International Airport on Nov. 4, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) 
A plume of smoke wafts over airport property after reports of a plane crash at Louisville International Airport on Nov. 4, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) 
This photo provided by Chuck Fugate shows thick, black smoke rising after reports of a plane crash at Louisville International Airport on Nov. 4, 2025, as seen from Fugate’s condo in Jeffersonville, Ind. (Chuck Fugate via AP)
While the shelter-in-place order for the Louisville area has been reduced since Tuesday, Beshear warned residents in the immediate area of the crash to avoid drinking tap water in case of contamination.
Though the airport is again functioning, Greenberg said the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration’s investigation into the crash is only just beginning.
“Flights are now able to take off and land — not from that same runway as the UPS plane was on, but another runway has reopened the airport,” Greenberg said on “NewsNation Live.”
In a statement, UPS said it was “terribly saddened” by the crash and confirmed three crew members were on board the aircraft.
No hazardous cargo was on board the plane that could cause further environmental issues, though officials said the scene was expected to remain active and dangerous in the coming days.
“We don’t know how long it’s going to take to render that scene safe for the investigation to take place,” Louisville police Chief Paul Humphrey said on Tuesday.
Gov. Beshear is launching a disaster relief fund, which will first be used to fund the funerals of the victims.
NewsNation’s Patrick Djordjevic contributed to this report.