The crash of UPS Flight 2976 and its toll on Louisville

It'll be hard for anyone in Louisville to forget last Tuesday, Nov. 4, and the crash of UPS Flight 2976.

Around 5:15 p.m. that day, on what was shaping up to be a beautiful autumn evening, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 bound for Honolulu crashed during takeoff from Louisville, igniting a massive fire and creating an enormous smoke plume visible across the city.

It's been hard to talk about anything else since then. So on this week's Access Louisville podcast we discuss how we reported the story, including its impact on business.

On the show, LBF Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett is on the show to recount his conversation with Sean Garber, CEO of Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling, which was hit by the aircraft and debris during the crash. Hearing what happened at the business was one of the toughest interviews he'd ever done, Stinnett said on the show.

We also discuss how important Worldport is to UPS' business and the company's response so far, including a statement from its CEO Carol Tome in Atlanta.

More coverage from the Business First team this week:

• UPS identifies crew killed in jet crash as death toll rises
• Power outages, road closures persist near airport
• Bar spared in UPS crash
• Feds begin probe after deadly UPS jet crash

At about 6 p.m. Thursday, airport officials announced that runway 17R/35L (the runway used by UPS Flight 2976), or West Runway, was back open, meaning the airport (SDF) was again fully operational. For those seeking assistance, the city has set up a Family Assistance Center that can be reached at 1-800-631-0604.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify,