Louisville Marks one year since UPS Flight 2976 crash with ceremony

One year after a UPS cargo plane tore through a Louisville industrial neighborhood, the city paused on Wednesday to count its dead out loud: fifteen bells, one for each life lost, rung at the Okolona Fire Department, the first company on the scene that day. The ceremony opened with a prayer and closed with Metro Hall, the Big Four Bridge and the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs glowing yellow, a citywide signal that the grief is shared and still active.

On Nov. 4, 2025, UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The MD-11 cargo jet was bound for Honolulu when its left engine separated from the aircraft, sending the plane into a nearby industrial area and sparking a massive fire. Fifteen people were killed, ranging in age from 3 to 65: three UPS pilots and 12 people on the ground, including employees of nearby businesses. One victim died 51 days after the crash from injuries sustained in the accident, and 23 others were injured.

LIVE: UPS hosting ceremony to remember 15 lives lost one year ago on Flight 2976

Fifteen Bells at the Okolona Fire Department

The anniversary ceremony drew Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and UPS Airlines President Bill Moore, alongside first responders and family members. Chaplain Wayne Bishop of Jefferson County Fire & EMS opened the service, saying,

“We offer thanks for all those that helped bear the burdens of this community a year ago.”

Coleman spoke directly to the weight of the year.

“In some ways, 365 days feels like an eternity of carrying a heavy burden.”

she said.

“But I know for many of you here today, it feels like yesterday.”

UPS honors 15 victims of Flight 2976 crash with bell-ringing ceremony in Louisville 1 year later

Moore said UPS had not let the year pass quietly.

“We remember the 15 lives lost as a result of Flight 2976.”

he said.

“We’ve carried their memory and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers throughout the past year.”

He added that

“it seems fitting to share this moment of remembrance together alongside some of the first responders who answered the call.”

The Pilots Who Tried to Fly the Unflyable

Bob Travis, president of the Independent Pilots Association, used the ceremony to name the crew: Captain Richard Wartenberg, Captain Dana Diamond and First Officer Lee Truitt.

“On that fateful day, my three friends and colleagues pushed up the throttles for takeoff.”

Travis said.

“They had no way of knowing that within seconds, they would face the impossible task of trying to fly the unflyable.”

Flames nearby the UPS plane crash in Louisville shortly after dusk on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 — Photo: lpm.org

According to the Courier-Journal, Travis rang a silver bell once for each of the 15 lives lost, and attendees wore yellow ribbons as the ceremony closed. Greenberg thanked the wider circle of support that formed around the response, saying,

“Our first responders, the business owners who provided meals to those helping, the neighbors who checked on neighbors and so many others that makes all of us proud.”

Yellow Ribbons, Yellow Lights and an Open Investigation

Beyond the fire station, the city organized a wider observance. A memorial gathering was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Grade A Auto Parts on Melton Avenue, though the mayor’s office later clarified the gathering would not be open to the public; the event was also livestreamed on Greenberg’s social media channels and Louisville MetroTV. Places of worship with bells or carillons were encouraged to join, and residents were asked to wear yellow or light their buildings yellow alongside Metro Hall, the Big Four Bridge and the Churchill Downs spires.

UPS pilots remembered as families mark anniversary of Flight 2976 crash in Louisville

After the accident, UPS grounded its fleet of MD-11 cargo planes, and the Federal Aviation Administration ordered inspections and corrective action before affected aircraft could return to service. UPS has since announced plans to retire its MD-11 fleet early, and the NTSB investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing.

Greenberg’s message to families, issued as the city marked the date, carried the ceremony’s closing weight:

“Every person who lost a loved one, whose life was changed forever, and who continues to grapple with this tragedy should know that here in Louisville, they will never have to grieve alone.”