A UPS cargo jet aborted its landing Tuesday at a Kentucky airport to avoid another aircraft on the runway, according to reports about a close call at the same airport where a deadly crash occurred months earlier.
An air traffic controller could be heard shouting, “What are you doing?” in audio of the incident, according to FOX 43.
The Boeing 767, identified as UPS flight 1303, was arriving from Atlanta when it was ordered to perform a go-around at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport early Tuesday morning while a smaller aircraft was on the runway, the outlet reported.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said air traffic control instructed the UPS jet to perform a go-around after another aircraft turned onto the runway without authorization. The agency said required separation between the aircraft was maintained.
Audio of the exchange captures the controller urgently instructing the smaller aircraft, identified as Skylab 25, to stop before directing the UPS jet to go around.
“Two-Five, stop!” the controller yelled, according to FOX 43. “SkyLab Two-Five, what are you doing?”
A UPS spokesperson told WHAS11 the aircraft “safely conducted a go around” during its approach and that there was no operational impact or injuries.
UPS spokesperson Michelle Polk said the maneuver, in which a plane discontinues its descent and circles back for another landing attempt, was carried out in line with standard procedure.
“Following standard procedures, a UPS aircraft safely conducted a go-around during its approach at the direction of air traffic control. There was no operational impact,” UPS said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows the aircraft descending to around 500 feet before climbing back to approximately 1,500 feet within a short span, FOX 43 reported.
Louisville’s UPS Worldport is the company’s largest package handling center in the world. The 5.2 million-square-foot hub serves as the center of UPS’ global air network.
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The close call comes just months after a UPS cargo crash at the same airport that killed 15 people.
In November 2025, a UPS MD-11 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all three crew members and 12 people on the ground. National Transportation Safety Board investigators said the plane’s left engine separated shortly after takeoff and caught fire. The aircraft reached only about 30 feet above ground before crashing.
Surveillance footage showed the engine detaching from the wing before impact. Investigators found structural cracks in the engine mount that likely led to failure.
UPS grounded its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft after the crash, while the FAA ordered inspections and repairs for the model.
In a separate incident Thursday near Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, a small propeller plane landed in a field. Both people aboard were uninjured, according to WKYT.
