A UPS cargo plane bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, crashed near Louisville, Kentucky's Muhammad Ali International Airport shortly after takeoff on Tuesday, Nov. 4, killing multiple people and leaving authorities scrambling for answers about what happened.
While early photos and video document the moments around the devastating crash, investigations into air disasters take extensive time and research. Determining the cause of the crash will be part of an already-in-progress National Transportation Safety Board investigation. Expect full results of the inquiry to take a year or more.
The crash also comes on the heels of other high-profile aviation incidents this year, including a fatal collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in January, prompting potential safety concerns.
It also comes amid a charged political climate, with a government shutdown drawing attention to federal agencies involved in air safety, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB. Here's what to know in the early stages of the investigation:
There's no definitive answer yet, but early photos and videos may offer clues about what went wrong.
