NEED TO KNOW
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Colleagues and neighbors remembered the three pilots who were killed in the recent UPS plane crash
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Capt. Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Capt. Dana Diamond died in Louisville on Nov. 4
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Wartenberg was remembered as someone who offered to help out whenever needed, while Diamond and Truitt were also remembered for their generosity
The three pilots who died in the recent UPS plane crash are being remembered by their neighbors, friends and colleagues.
Capt. Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Capt. Dana Diamond, died in Louisville on Nov. 4.
One of the Wartenberg’s neighbors, Betty Gay Earls, told WLWT5 that the pilot — a former Air Force veteran, who moved from Ohio to Kentucky to carry out his job as a pilot for UPS — was always there to help others out.
“If something was going on in the neighborhood, he’d let me know,” Earls recalled. “And he was just, just a neat neighbor. [He’d say], ‘If you ever need anything, call me.’ You know?”
Another neighbor of Wartenberg’s, who did not provide their name to WLWT5, remembered the pilot as a “nice guy” who would offer help when needed.
“If anything was happening, he’d let me know, and he’d say, ‘If you need anything, let me know. I’ll be sure to help you.’ He was just a nice guy,” the neighbor recalled.
Colleagues of Truitt and Diamond also paid tribute to the pilots after their deaths.
John H. Bode, the president and CEO of Bode Aviation, remembered Truitt, a former flight instructor who had been working for UPS since 2021, as “a cherished friend, a trusted colleague, and a model of what it means to be a true professional aviator,” per the Associated Press.
He added that Truitt “demonstrated an unwavering commitment to excellence, earning the respect and admiration of everyone he worked alongside.”
“Through diligence, humility, and an unrelenting pursuit of mastery, Lee rose to serve as a Senior Flight Instructor and Charter Pilot, where his discipline, composure, and integrity became the standard by which others measured themselves. His dedication to his craft was matched only by his generosity of spirit — he continually returned to mentor our students and instructors, guiding the next generation of aviators with patience, wisdom, and care,” Bode continued of Truitt.
As for Diamond, who previously served as commissioner and chief of Bastrop County Emergency Services in Texas, he was remembered as someone who offered to help others wherever he could, per the AP.
John Sommers II/UPI/Shutterstock
UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky
“He ran towards danger so the rest of us can step back from it and that kind of devotion to his community leaves a mark on everyone it touches,” the agency said, according to the outlet. “He leaves behind not only a legacy of service but also the memories with fellow firefighters and the community he served. His contribution to the citizens of Bastrop County Texas are immeasurable.”
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Ten others were also killed in the plane crash, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. Those victims include grandfather Louisnes Fedon and his 3-year-old granddaughter Kimberly Asa, ABC News reported.
The MD-11-F plane was traveling from Louisville to Honolulu, Hawaii, when it crashed at about 5:15 p.m. local time on Nov. 4, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman said in a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 5.
A preliminary investigation revealed three people were onboard the plane when “a large plume of fire” erupted from the area of the left wing during the “takeoff roll,” Inman said.
The plane then “lifted off and gained enough altitude” to clear a fence at the end of the runway, only to crash into multiple structures “off of the airport property,” he added.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
Read the original article on People
