LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As of 7:37 a.m. Wednesday, nine people are dead and several others are injured after a catastrophic plane crash happened near Louisville's airport Tuesday.

The MD-11 aircraft was enroute to Honolulu and went down around 5:15 p.m., sending a massive plume of smoke into the sky visible across Louisville and southern Indiana.

Col. Steve Ganyard, an ABC News Contributor, watched the video and noted that weather was not a factor in the crash. He also said there is some evidence there were parts of an engine on the runway.

"This was a major fire which may have suggested a catastrophic failure of the engine that could have thrown hot parts into either the wing tanks or into the fuselage and started a fire while the aircraft was still on takeoff roll," Ganyard said.

He a

See Full Page