Pilot killed in UPS plane crash identified as member of Jack Dan - WBRC FOX6 News - Birmingham, AL

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A pilot from Tennessee who is part of the family that runs the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, TN has been identified as one of the two crew members killed in Wednesday morning's UPS cargo plane crash near the Birmingham, AL airport. The flight originated at the UPS hub in Louisville.

Shanda Fanning of Lynchburg was among the two pilots killed in the crash. According to WSMV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Nashville, Jack Daniels employees were gathered for a meeting on Wednesday to inform them of the tragedy. Fanning was the wife of Bret Fanning, whose family operates the distillery. Shanda Fanning and the other pilot, whose name has not been released, were the only two people aboard the Airbus A300 when it went down in an open field during its approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport at 6:11 a.m. EDT.

[PREVIOUS STORY: UPS pilots killed in Birmingham plane crash; flight originated in Louisville]

The pilot and co-pilot were pronounced dead at the scene, said Birmingham Fire Chief Ivor Brooks.

The crash scattered boxes and charred debris across the grassy field. Several explosions were reported and the plane burned after it crashed. The flames were extinguished by late morning, Brooks said.

The plane crash did not affect airport operations, although it did appear to topple a tree and a utility pole, according to Toni Herrera-Bast, a spokesperson for Birmingham's airport authority.

It was not immediately known what caused the crash or what the plane was carrying. UPS spokesperson Jeff Wafford said only that the plane was carrying a variety of cargo.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board were on site investigating the cause of the crash.

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