A UPS cargo plane with three people on board has crashed while taking off from Louisville International Airport in the US state of Kentucky.

The crash occurred about 5:15pm, local time, on Tuesday as the plane was departing for Honolulu, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

A massive fire was ignited, leaving a thick plume of black smoke over the area.

UPS said it was yet to confirm any injuries or casualties due to the accident on one of its MD-11 planes.

The Louisville airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the delivery firm's air cargo operations and its largest package handling facility in the world.

The crash will likely disrupt deliveries for UPS, and its major customers, including Amazon AMZN.O and the United States Postal Service.

Mayor Craig Greenberg

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