Small Plane Strays Onto Runway, Forces UPS Jet to Abort Landing

Close call at Louisville airport raises concerns about runway safety

Apr. 18, 2026 at 2:47am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A highly stylized, geometric illustration depicting the towering silhouette of an airport control tower and runway, conveying the grand scale and sleek forms of air travel without any literal depiction of planes or people.A near-miss at a major cargo airport raises concerns about runway safety protocols and the need for strict procedures to protect air traffic and ground crews.Louisville Today

A predawn cargo flight into UPS' massive Louisville hub turned tense when a small jet strayed onto the runway and forced a bigger UPS Boeing 767 plane to abort its landing. Air traffic control audio captured the controller urgently ordering the smaller SKQ-25 jet to stop and telling the UPS crew to pull up and circle back over the airport.

Why it matters

The incident comes about five months after the fatal crash of a UPS plane at the same Louisville airport, raising concerns about runway safety and air traffic control procedures at a major cargo hub.

The details

The UPS Flight 1303, a Boeing 767, was on final approach to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport early Tuesday when the air traffic controller spotted the smaller SKQ-25 jet on the runway. The controller quickly ordered the SKQ-25 to stop and told the UPS crew to abort their landing and go around.

  • The incident occurred in the predawn hours on Tuesday, April 18, 2026.
  • It comes about five months after a fatal UPS plane crash at the same Louisville airport in November 2025.

The players

UPS Flight 1303

A Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by UPS that was on final approach to the Louisville airport when the incident occurred.

SKQ-25

A smaller jet that strayed onto the runway, forcing the UPS plane to abort its landing.

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport

The major cargo hub where the incident took place, which has seen a previous fatal UPS plane crash in November 2025.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The FAA and airport authorities are investigating the incident to determine how the smaller jet ended up on the runway and what procedures need to be reviewed to prevent similar close calls in the future.

The takeaway

This near-miss at a major cargo airport highlights the importance of strict runway safety protocols, especially in the wake of a previous fatal crash, to protect both air traffic and ground crews from potential disasters.