the birmingham - shuttlesworth airport is still operating as normal .
story highlights there was no distress call from the pilots prior to impact , the ntsb says ntsb investigators unable to immediately retrieve plane 's recorders , official says the pilot and co - pilot of the ups plane die in the crash a photograph shows the jet 's crumpled front end resting amid debris the pilot and co - pilot of a ups cargo plane did not issue a distress call prior to crashing while on approach wednesday to birmingham 's airport , a national transportation safety board official said .
photos : photos : ups cargo plane crash photos : photos : ups cargo plane crash ups cargo plane crash – the pilot and co - pilot of a ups view the flight tracking log for the ups cargo plane that crashed in birmingham this morning .
bergen says the plane was en route from louisville , ky. to birmingham .
a federal aviation official says a large ups cargo plane has crashed near an airport in birmingham , ala. federal aviation administration spokeswoman kathleen bergen tells the associated press that the a300 plane crashed on approach to the airport before dawn wednesday .
update : wsmv has confirmed the identity of one of the pilots killed this morning as shanda fanning .
the ntsb is expected to speak shortly on the crash .
view the flight tracking log for the ups cargo plane that crashed in birmingham this morning .
the plane , which took off from louisville , kentucky , went down around 4:45 a.m. on a street that runs parallel to the birmingham - shuttlesworth international airport , mayor william bell said .