A man who suffered severe burns when a UPS cargo aircraft crashed into a Louisville industrial zone after take‑off has passed away, increasing the death count from the incident to 15.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg identified the victim as Alain Rodriguez Colina and noted that he died on Thursday after the injuries he sustained on December 25th. “It is with great sadness that I just learned Alain Rodriguez Colina has passed,” Greenberg wrote in an X post on Thursday evening.
“Alain is the 15th victim of the UPS Flight 2976 accident. He suffered severe injuries at the time of the crash and passed earlier this Christmas Day. May Alain’s memory be a blessing.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called on people to keep the families of the victims in their thoughts, insisting that they be reminded that they are not alone.
The tragedy remains one of the deadliest in U.S. aviation this year. It began on Nov. 4, when UPS Flight 2976 departed Louisville International Airport bound for Honolulu. The aircraft lost its left‑hand engine, which detached from the wing and ignited shortly after the plane tipped for take‑off.
Flight data recorders show the plane never climbed higher than about 30 feet before crashing into an industrial area, killing three crew members on board and 11 people on the ground.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report noted that the engine’s pylon suffered an aft‑mount failure, with small cracks developing over time around the bolts that eventually led to the engine’s separation.
An airport camera filmed the pylon and engine breaking away from the wing shortly after rotation, followed by a fire that spread until the aircraft struck a storage yard and two buildings.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
