UPDATE 2 -- UPS cargo plane crashes near Alabama airport, killing 2

[News_Editor]

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA (BNO NEWS) -- A large UPS cargo plane crashed and burst into flames Wednesday morning in a field outside an airport in Alabama, killing the two crew members on board, local and federal authorities said. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

UPS flight 1354, an Airbus A300 en-route from Louisville in Kentucky, went down at around 4:45 a.m. local time in a field approximately 0.5 mile (0.8 kilometer) north of Runway 18 at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham. The flight was coming in for landing after a 45-minute flight.

Birmingham Mayor William Bell said two people, the pilot and co-pilot, were killed in the crash. Their identities were not immediately known, but no other crew members were believed to have been on board the aircraft at the time of the accident. There were no casualties on the ground, and no structures were affected.

UPS confirmed one of its aircraft had crashed, but provided few other details. "At this time, we are still determining the details of the incident. We will release more information as it becomes available," a UPS spokesman said. "As we work through this difficult situation, we ask for your patience, and that you keep those involved in your thoughts and prayers."

Officials at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, which is the largest airport in Alabama, said it was operating normally despite the aircraft crash nearby. "The airport is running normal flight operations. Roads leading to the airport terminal remain open and operational," a spokesperson said.

It was not immediately clear what may have caused Wednesday's accident, but both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Board (NTSB) will launch an investigation. "The NTSB is in charge of the investigation and will determine probable cause," FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

The NTSB said it had mobilized a full go-team to go to the scene and investigate the crash. "[The] NTSB is launching a full Go-Team to investigate this morning's crash of a UPS A306 in Birmingham," the agency said, adding that it would hold a news conference at 9:15 a.m. EDT.

In September 2010, two crew members were killed when UPS flight 6, a Boeing 747-400 aircraft, crashed near a United Arab Emirates (UAE) army camp, about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Dubai International Airport. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for the crash, but investigators later determined it was caused by a fire that originated in a cargo container holding lithium batteries.

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[Scott]

Update 3 here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/660893-update-3-ups-cargo-plane-crashes-near-alabama-airport-killing-2/

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