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The identities of the captain and crew members aboard the UPS aircraft that tragically crashed in Kentucky have been disclosed as the somber recovery effort for other victims progresses.
UPS representatives have confirmed that the crew of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 included Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
Tragically, all three crew members perished when UPS Flight 2976 burst into flames upon crashing into industrial buildings near Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, setting the area ablaze.
Captain Wartenberg, aged 58, hailed from northern Kentucky and was well-regarded for his passion for cars.
According to a 2022 feature in the Bent Pylon, the Porsche Club of America’s magazine, Wartenberg had been an active member of the Ohio Valley Region chapter for two decades.
The Taj Kreuzers SpeedFest in Ohio also shared on social media that Wartenberg was ‘a close friend.’
‘You may have seen him at several of our many Speedfest events,’ the organization wrote. ‘He brought his warm smile and great conversation with him whenever he attended.
‘The aviation world and car enthusiast world will certainly miss him.’
The pilot who operated the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 has been identified as Captain Richard Wartenberg
Others remembered Wartenberg for his skills as an aircraft pilot, with Nathan Oberg calling him a ‘solid aviator and a good family man.
‘I may have been his first First Officer years ago when he upgraded on the airbus; he later switched fleets back to the MD-11,’ Oberg recounted on Facebook.
‘No matter the time of day or how busy/tired we may have ben in the middle of the night, Rich always had a smile on his face and made time for a conversation with a friend,’ he said.
‘Take it easy, Rich. You were one of the “good guys”… in the end, that’s about as good as any man could hope for.’
John Wayne Wesley also wrote on Facebook that he ‘lost a dear and treasured friend’ with Wartenberg’s passing.
‘Captain Richard Wartenberg was one of the best people you could ever hope to have cross your life’s path,’ he said.
‘We traveled the world together on many military missions and had some of the best times of our lives.
‘You will be missed, Rich. Rest in peace, my friend.’
Truitt, meanwhile, had previously worked at Bode Aviation and was on the Airport Advisory Board in Albuquerque, New Mexico, KOB reports.
First Officer Lee Truitt was among those killed in the deadly Louisville plane crash
It is unclear when he started working for UPS.
Nine others were also killed on the ground, including a child.
Others remain missing, including mother-of-two Angela ‘Angie’ Anderson, 45, of Louisville, may have perished in the fire.
She had been getting rid of scrap metal at Grade A Auto Parts & Scrap Metal Recycling at the time, and has not been seen or heard from since.
Anderson’s boyfriend, Donald Henderson, 55, had meant to go with her to the shop, but was too tired after a long day of work, he told WDRB.
‘We’ve been meaning to do it, but [I’ve] been working every day,’ Henderson said. ‘I told her I’d take her and it was 4:30[pm]. I was like: “It’s too late by the time we get over there.”‘
Despite her boyfriend’s protests, the mother-of-two said she’d ‘take care of it’ and off she went.
Now, days later, Henderson and 64-year-old William Moreland, the father of her two children, are desperately waiting for answers.
UPS Flight 2976 erupted into a fireball as it crashed through industrial buildings outside of Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport and engulfed the area in flames shortly after 5pm on Tuesday
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft struck several businesses as it crashed
The pair raced down on their bikes to the victims’ reunification center, hoping to find her.
‘As soon as I heard,’ Moreland told the outlet.
‘[We] come [sic] over here and see what’s going on,’ Henderson said. ‘I know we ain’t the only ones.’
Anderson’s friend, Angel O’Rafferty, who sent the Daily Mail a photo of Anderson, said there haven’t been any updates on the mother’s location or status.
‘Angela Anderson!!! I love you with all my heart. PLEASE GOD bring her to safety along with the others that have not been found from The Plane Wreck in Louisville, Kentucky,’ she wrote on Facebook.
‘She arrived at the site where the plane crashed at 5:11 pm the plane hit at 5:12pm and hasn’t been heard from since yesterday… please keep these people in your prayers.’
Grade A is currently missing three employees, including Jonny Louck.
‘John is a very special type of guy, he’d give you his shirt off his back. He’s always there for you when no one else is, unfortunately he is missing after the plane crash,’ Kyler Collins, who works at the shop and was not on shift at the time, told the Lexington Herald Leader.
But as recovery efforts continued overnight, five victims were located.
Angela ‘Angie’ Anderson, 46, of Louisville, is among the nine people still missing after UPS Flight 2976 crashed on Tuesday evening , killing 12, including a child
Anderson was getting rid of scrap metal at Grade A Auto Parts & Scrap Metal Recycling shortly after 5pm when the plane erupted into a fireball and engulfed the area in large flames
A dozen people were killed in the crash and others still remain missing
The flight, which was destined for Hawaii, had been cleared for takeoff and had cleared the airport’s fence.
‘Shortly after clearing that fence, it made impact with structures and the terrain off of the airport property,’ the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.
‘A post-impact fire ensued, which covers approximately almost a half of a mile.’
Authorities have already determined that one of the plane’s three engines detached from its left wing as the wide-body jet was rolling down the runway.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, including looking into all maintenance prior to it arriving and taking off in Louisville.
The plane was in San Antonio, Texas, for six weeks prior to arriving in Kentucky.
UPS told NTSB that ‘no work has been done’ on the aircraft prior to takeoff, the government agency said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
‘Words can’t express the sorrow we feel over the heartbreaking Flight 2976 accident,’ UPS Executive Vice President Nando Cesarone said as he released the crew member’s names on Thursday.
He added in a video statement that the company is focusing on ‘the needs of everyone affected.’
Karen Yount holds a sign reading ‘2976’ during a vigil Thursday
Fifteen people were injured in the devastating crash and were transported to local hospitals to be treated for injuries ranging from minor to severe burns, blast injuries, shrapnel injuries and smoke inhalation, WLWT reports.
Of those, 13 were discharged from the hospital and two others remained in critical condition, according to WLKY.
Matt Sweets had more than 95 percent of his body burned and was taken to the hospital in critical condition, his sister-in-law, Fawn Armstrong, revealed in a GoFundMe, which has raised more than $44,000.
He was ‘he was caught in the fireball aftermath,’ Armstrong said.
‘He is currently in critical condition and faces a long road of recovery and rehabilitation. We are praying hard and holding on to every bit of hope God gives us.
‘Matt is the sole provider for Brooke and their children. With him in the hospital for the foreseeable future, the family’s everyday needs like bills, groceries, and basic living expenses will add up quickly. The last thing they need is to worry about finances while they are fighting for Matt’s life and strength.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Armstrong and family for comment.
Members of the Kentucky National Guard’s Civil Support Tam are pictured testing the debris
The plane crashed on Tuesday evening (pictured: debris)
What appears to be a plane engine is seen here lying on the runway following the crash
The plane’s black box has been recovered by NTSB, and information is expected to be able to be extracted, despite the heat damage.
It remains unclear what may have caused the engine to fall off the 34-year-old aircraft.
The NTSB is still doing a ‘delayering search’ near the crash site and collecting debris from local business, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.