A UPS Boeing 767 operating as Flight 1303 aborted its landing at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport early Tuesday after a smaller aircraft entered the runway without authorization, prompting air traffic control to instruct the cargo jet to perform a standard go-around.
Audio released by local outlets captures a tense exchange on the tower frequency. Controllers can be heard urgently addressing the smaller aircraft — identified in the recording as Skylab 25 — shouting, "Two-Five, stop!" and "SkyLab Two-Five, what are you doing?" before directing the UPS jet to climb away.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that air traffic control told the UPS aircraft to discontinue its descent after the other plane entered the runway without clearance and said that required separation between the aircraft was maintained. Flight-tracking data reviewed by FlightRadar24 and Fox 43 shows the 767 descended to roughly 500 feet before climbing back to about 1,500 feet while executing the go-around.
UPS jets are parked at the Worldport package sorting complex at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Nov. 6, 2025, in Louisville, Ky.
A UPS spokesperson told WHAS11 the crew "safely conducted a go-around" at the direction of air traffic control and that there were no injuries or operational impacts. UPS representative Michelle Polk reiterated that the maneuver — in which an aircraft discontinues its descent and circles for another approach — was performed in accordance with standard procedures.
Context And Ongoing Review
The incident occurred at Louisville, home to UPS Worldport, the company’s largest package-handling hub and a central node in its global air network. The close call comes months after a fatal UPS MD-11 crash at the same airport in November 2025 that killed 15 people. NTSB investigators reported the MD-11’s left engine separated shortly after takeoff and later found structural cracks in the engine mount that likely contributed to the failure. Following that crash, UPS grounded its MD-11 fleet and the FAA ordered inspections and repairs for the model.
Authorities at the FAA and local airport agencies continue to review the go-around incident at Louisville. No further operational disruptions were reported, and UPS confirmed normal operations were unaffected. In a separate, unrelated incident near Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, a small propeller plane landed in a field with no injuries reported.
