UPS crew members killed in Louisville plane crash identified
The first three victims of Tuesday’s fatal UPS cargo plane crash have been identified, according to a Thursday afternoon statement from the company.
The victims, members of the UPS crew, were identified as Capt. Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Capt. Dana Diamond.
TV station KOAT in Albuquerque reported that Truitt, 45, was from Albuquerque.
At least 14 have died in the crash, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Friday night.
“The family of Lee Truitt, the First Officer of UPS flight number 2976, is heartbroken by the events that unfolded in Louisville on Tuesday,’’ Truitt’s family told TV station KOB 4 in Albuquerque.
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support that has come forward from the community. Lee is a beloved father, husband, son, brother, friend, and pilot. As we process this tragedy, we ask that the public and press respect our privacy.”
TV station WLKY in Louisville reported that Wartenberg was from Independence in Northern Kentucky and Diamond was from Caldwell, Texas.
“Words can’t express the sorrow we feel over the heartbreaking Flight 2976 accident,” Nando Cesarone, the company’s executive vice president of U.S. and UPS Airlines, said in the statement.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our colleagues, and to the loved ones of those in the Louisville community.”
The crash happened around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday as Flight 2976 was leaving Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, killing at least 13 people, including the three UPS crew members, and injuring several others. National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman said Wednesday airport video showed the left engine of the MD-11 McDonnell Douglas aircraft detaching soon after takeoff.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed Thursday morning the crew was among those who had died.
“Louisville stands with the entire UPS community as we mourn this tremendous loss together. And please keep the families of those wounded in the crash or still waiting for word on their loved ones in your prayers and close to your hearts,” Greenberg said in a Thursday evening Facebook post.
Identities of the other victims have not been released as of Thursday evening. Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday additional testing may be needed to confirm some identities.
According to a GoFundMe page, two of the victims who died were Louisnes “Lou” Fedon and his granddaughter. The fundraiser seeks donations for Fedon’s children.
Nine people also remained missing as of Thursday morning, Greenberg said. Search and rescue teams were “delayering” the debris to try to find other possible victims.
Inman said Thursday the full maintenance history of the UPS plane will be examined to further determine what led to the crash. The plane, a McDonnell Douglass MD-11, had previously undergone six weeks of maintenance in September and October in San Antonio.
MD-11 planes have three engines. Two are mounted underneath the left and right wings, with a third located near the tail. According to an online database of flight crashes by the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, a Geneva-based group that tracks airplane accidents, the MD-11 has been involved in 11 incidents resulting in more than 244 fatalities since 1993.
Some involved pilot error or weather conditions, while other incidents were caused by electrical and mechanical problems.
Herald-Leader reporter Beth Musgrave contributed to this story.
This story was originally published November 6, 2025 at 4:14 PM with the headline "UPS crew members killed in Louisville plane crash identified."