Death Toll from UPS Plane Crash in Kentucky Rises to 15 After Christmas Day Fatality

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The number of confirmed deaths from the UPS cargo plane crash near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport has climbed to 15, authorities announced Friday, after a man injured in the fiery November 4 accident died from his wounds on Christmas Day. The update deepens community grief nearly eight weeks after one of the deadliest aviation accidents of the year.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg shared the news on social media that Alain Rodriguez Colina, 50, succumbed to injuries sustained when UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo jet, crashed shortly after takeoff while bound for Honolulu. The flight’s left engine detached from the wing, causing the loaded aircraft to plunge into nearby businesses and ignite a massive fireball.

“Alain is the 15th victim of the UPS Flight 2976 accident,” Mayor Greenberg wrote in a post on X, urging the community to keep the victims’ families in their thoughts. “He suffered severe injuries at the time of the crash and passed earlier this Christmas Day.”

Colina worked at Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling, one of the small businesses destroyed when the cargo jet slammed into the industrial area minutes after departure. Colina was the fourth employee from that company killed by the blast, reflecting how the tragedy affected both workers and customers on the ground, officials said.

In the earliest hours of the crash, all three crew members on board — experienced pilots heading west — were killed, and numerous people on the ground suffered injuries ranging from severe to minor. Initially, the death toll was reported as 14, but it has steadily risen as victims succumbed to their injuries over the past weeks.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to investigate the cause of the crash, with preliminary findings pointing to structural issues at the engine-wing connection as a critical factor in the accident. In response to the crash and ongoing safety concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all MD-11 aircraft, a model widely used in cargo fleets, pending further review.

Family members, first responders and community leaders gathered earlier this month to mark the anniversary of the crash, and now with a 15th fatality confirmed, local officials are reinforcing support programs for those still recovering physically and emotionally.

The tragic increase in fatalities serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of aviation disasters and has sparked renewed calls for heightened safety inspections and better maintenance standards for aging aircraft operating in the United States.