💔 UPS Mourns Crew Lost in Fiery Louisville Crash: “Words Can’t Express the Sorrow We Feel”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
In the stillness before dawn, a flash lit the sky over Louisville. Within moments, the roar of an aircraft engine was replaced by silence — and a community was forever changed.

UPS has now confirmed the identities of the three pilots killed when Flight 2976 crashed early Thursday morning: Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond.

All three were seasoned aviators, described by colleagues as calm under pressure, deeply professional, and bound by the quiet camaraderie that comes only from life at 30,000 feet.

“Words can’t express the sorrow we feel over the heartbreaking Flight 2976 accident,” said Nando Cesarone, Executive Vice President for U.S. and UPS Airlines.
“Our hearts go out to every UPSer who has been impacted, and to our entire Louisville community. Supporting you, and ensuring you receive the care and resources you need, is our highest priority.”

A Routine Flight, A Sudden Tragedy

Flight 2976 had departed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport just before dawn — a routine cargo run operated countless times before. Minutes later, the plane went down in flames not far from the runway, its fiery wreckage visible for miles.

Firefighters battled the inferno as dawn broke across the Kentucky horizon. There were no survivors.

Remembering the Crew

Inside UPS’s Louisville air hub — one of the largest in the world — grief spread swiftly. Crew members embraced on the tarmac. Flags were lowered to half-staff.
Photos of the three pilots began circulating online, alongside messages of heartbreak and solidarity.

“They weren’t just pilots,” one UPS worker wrote. “They were family. Every person here feels this loss.”

For a company built on precision and safety, the human cost of such a tragedy runs deep. Each pilot had logged thousands of flight hours — the kind of professionals colleagues say you’d trust with anything, including your life.

The Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash. Early reports suggest the crew may have experienced mechanical trouble shortly after takeoff, but federal officials cautioned that it could take months before the full picture emerges.

Meanwhile, UPS has pledged full cooperation with investigators and is providing support to the victims’ families.

A Sky Gone Silent

At sunrise the next morning, a row of UPS aircraft lined the runways in stillness — a silent tribute to the colleagues who would not return.

In the aviation world, loss is felt in echoes: in the radio silence, in the empty flight logs, in the sky that suddenly seems a little quieter.

But among those who knew Capt. Wartenberg, First Officer Truitt, and Capt. Diamond, one truth remains: their professionalism, courage, and bond will not be forgotten.

“They dedicated their lives to keeping others connected,” Cesarone said. “Now, it’s our duty to honor them — and to carry their spirit forward.”