Who are the victims of the UPS plane crash? Here’s what we know so far
The death toll in the deadliest plane crash in UPS history has reached 13, including three pilots, while nine others remain missing and unidentified.
During a vigil held by the local Teamsters union on the evening of November 6, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced that the last victim had died from his injuries at UofL Hospital.
Shortly before the seizure, UPS identified the three pilots on Flight 2976, two days after the Hawaii-bound cargo plane crashed into the ground shortly after takeoff, creating a half-mile-long path of destruction south of the Louisville airport and the shipping giant’s largest sorting and logistics facility in the United States.
More than 200 first responders, including hundreds of firefighters, worked to battle the fire caused by the crash, which was further intensified by the plane’s 220,000 pounds of fuel. The cargo plane breached the perimeter fence of the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport around 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 4 before crashing to the ground.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear previously declared a state of emergency to help make resources more readily available through agencies. Online crowdfunding site GoFundMe, I compiled a list verified fundraisers to help those in need.
Here’s what we know about the victims:
Richard Wartenberg
Wartenberg was the captain of Flight 2976, according to UPS. Public records show he has lived in Independence, Kentucky, since 2005.
Wartenberg, 58, Turns out he’s a car enthusiast. A 2022 article by Bent Pylon, a publication of the Porsche Club of America, noted that he was a member of the Ohio Valley Region chapter. At the time of the article’s publication, Wartenberg had been a member of the club, which has nearly 2,000 members, for 20 years.
Lee Truitt
Truitt served as the first officer or second in command of Flight 2976, according to UPS. Truitt was from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Truitt had been a UPS pilot since 2021, according to a LinkedIn profile named Truitt. Before that, he flew for SkyWest Airlines for nine years. He also worked as a flight instructor in Albuquerque and as a line service technician at Cutter Aviation. According to the profile, he is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and literature in 2006.
Dana Diamond
Diamond was an international aid officer on Flight 2976, an additional crew member on hand if the other pilots needed a rest. Diamond was from Caldwell, Texas, a small city between Austin and Houston.
That too once served as chief According to a 2008 report in the Bastrop Advertiser, Rosanky is the name of a small volunteer fire department in Texas called 3-N-1.
The Courier Journal is collecting information about the victims of the UPS plane crash, including how they can support their families. This story will be updated.
This article first appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Identities of UPS plane crash victims at Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport
