On Thursday, UPS revealed the identities of the flight crew members who tragically lost their lives in a devastating plane crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Kentucky. The accident, which occurred on Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals and left nearly a dozen more injured.
The three UPS pilots who perished on Flight 2976 were named as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond, as confirmed by Nando Cesarone, the executive vice president of UPS Airlines.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident involving Flight 2976,” Cesarone expressed in a heartfelt statement shared on X. “Our thoughts are with every member of the UPS family affected by this tragedy, as well as the Louisville community. Our focus is on providing the support and resources needed during this difficult time.”
The ill-fated UPS cargo plane, which was carrying approximately 38,000 gallons of fuel and was en route to Hawaii, crashed into the Kentucky Petroleum Recycling building shortly after its 5:15 p.m. ET departure from SDF, according to Governor Andy Beshear.
During a news conference at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, J. Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board addressed questions from reporters about the incident.
At the time of the crash, the oil recycling facility housed 29 above-ground storage tanks, containing around 226,000 gallons of used motor oil and 37,000 gallons of an oil-water-antifreeze mixture, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EPA on-scene coordinators confirmed several of the large, above-ground storage tanks at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling broke open and fell over. The facility remains closed while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates.
Preliminary flight data indicates the aircraft’s last recorded elevation was 475 feet, and it was traveling at 183 knots at the time of the crash, according to NTSB officials. The EPA confirmed there was no hazardous material cargo onboard the aircraft.
UPS jets are parked at the Worldport package sorting complex at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Thursday, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
At least 12 people are dead, including the three crew members onboard and a young child, and 11 others on the ground were injured, Beshear said. Others are still unaccounted for.
“This continues to be an incredibly sad time for our entire UPS family, and as our CEO, Carol Tomé reminded us: ‘United, we are strong,’” Cesarone wrote. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our colleagues, and to the loved ones of those in the Louisville community.”
Though the cause of the crash has not yet been released, NTSB officials said Wednesday the left engine detached from the plane and was found on the airfield.
On Thursday, the NTSB confirmed data was successfully recovered from the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, commonly known as the “black box,” at a Washington, D.C. lab.
NTSB officials on Thursday said the plane was in San Antonio, Texas, for six weeks prior to the crash, and that it may have been used as a replacement shortly before take-off due to maintenance issues with the originally scheduled aircraft.
The ATC tower is seen while smoke rises from the crash site of UPS Flight 2976 near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Wednesday, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
The EPA is working closely with state and local agencies, along with UPS, to clean up oil released into nearby streams that flow into the Salt and Ohio rivers.
EPA officials said the agency will remain on site to ensure clean air, land and water for nearby residents.
The NTSB confirmed the FBI is assisting with the investigation “under a longstanding Interagency agreement.”
The Louisville airport is home to UPS Worldport, a global hub for the shipping company’s air cargo operations and its largest package-handling facility worldwide.
