‘Angel on Earth’ grandad and granddaughter, 3, killed in horror UPS aircraft crash
A beloved grandfather and his three-year-old granddaughter have been confirmed among the 13 victims of the UPS cargo jet disaster in Kentucky, which killed three pilots
A grandfather and his three-year-old granddaughter were among the 13 victims of the tragic UPS cargo jet crash in Kentucky which claimed the lives of three pilots and left several people missing.
Louisnes Fedon and his three-year-old granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, have been named as two of the latest victims confirmed dead, according to a family friend who spoke with American news channel ABC13.
Fedon, a dad-of-four and the grandfather of three, often visited a scrapyard near the airport to collect metal for income, and was remembered by the family friend as “simply an angel on earth”, someone who “helped raise a whole village”.
Another victim, Matt Sweets, initially survived the explosion but tragically died from burns covering 95 per cent of his body, prompting a GoFundMe campaign to support his family, for whom he was the sole provider.
“Matt is the sole provider for Brooke and their children,” the GoFundMe page notes.
“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.”
Officials also believe the plane’s three crew members; Capt. Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Capt. Dana Diamond, were killed instantly when the aircraft erupted into a fireball after crashing through industrial buildings.
Several individuals are still unaccounted for, including 45-year-old Angela ‘Angie’ Anderson, a mum-of-two from Louisville, who was last seen dropping off scrap metal at Grade A Auto Parts & Scrap Metal Recycling and has not been heard from since the crash. On Thursday (November 6), officials stated that nine people were still missing as rescue teams combed through half a mile of burned and twisted wreckage.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said: “It’s been a long 36 hours of tragedy.” Nando Cesarone, UPS executive vice president for U.S. and UPS Airlines, expressed the company’s grief, saying: “Words can’t express the sorrow we feel over the heartbreaking Flight 2976 accident.
“Our hearts go out to every UPSer who has been impacted and all in our Louisville community, supporting you and ensuring you receive the care and resources you need is our priority.”
Hopes of finding survivors from the crash at UPS Worldport, the company’s global aviation hub, are slim.
Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board explained that the plane was cleared for takeoff on Tuesday when “a large fire developed in the left wing and an engine fell off”, with the last data showing the aircraft reached 475 feet and 210 mph before crashing.
Despite the tragedy, UPS Worldport resumed its Next Day Air operation on Wednesday night, and all runways at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport have reopened, according to spokesperson Jim Mayer.
Investigators recovered the engine’s main component and fan blade fragments from the airfield, and Inman noted: “UPS indicated that no maintenance work was performed before the flight that would delay it in any way.”
Experts like Jeff Guzzetti suggested the fire could have started from “the engine partially coming off and ripping out fuel lines” or “a fuel leak igniting and then burning the engine off.”
Inman added, “We will look at every piece of maintenance done, from the San Antonio time all the way to the date of the flight. … It’s going to be a laborious process,” but said there is currently no reason to ground other MD-11 planes.
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