“I Love You, Wife”: Widow Remembers Capt. Dana Diamond After Louisville UPS Jet Explosion

Capt. Dana Diamond, a 62-year-old veteran UPS pilot, died on Nov. 4 when UPS Flight 2976 crashed in a massive fireball shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The blast killed 14 people — three crew members and 11 people on the ground — and left families and communities grappling with sudden loss.

Final Hours And Last Messages

On the evening before the flight, Diamond and his wife, Donna, tended flowers together on their 132-acre ranch in Caldwell, Texas, talking about the life they had built and the plans they still hoped to make. The next day, as he prepared to serve as international relief officer on a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 bound for Hawaii, Diamond exchanged several messages with family — including his 8-year-old granddaughter — and, minutes before the crash, sent Donna a short text: "I love you, wife." Donna found the message later that day as the family struggled to comprehend the news.

Career, Community Service And Safety Leadership

Diamond joined UPS in 1988 and served the company for nearly four decades. He was widely respected within the Independent Pilots Association and beyond for his advocacy of safety and training. He served as commissioner and fire chief in his hometown area and trained more than 1,000 aircraft rescue firefighters, many of whom responded to the Louisville disaster. Colleagues described him as a no-nonsense safety champion who expected procedures to be followed without shortcuts.

Crash Details And Ongoing Investigation

Shortly after liftoff from Louisville, the aircraft’s left engine and pylon separated from the wing and ignited a fire. According to pilots and safety experts quoted by colleagues, the resulting wing fire appears to have contaminated a second engine, producing compressor stall and a loss of thrust that left the crew with an unrecoverable situation. Colleague Lee Collins described the accident as a "perfect storm" of cascading failures. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues a detailed investigation into the sequence of events and underlying causes.

“If the airplane had just lost an engine, it likely would have flown away,” Collins said. “But after the engine separation, the fire and subsequent contamination of the number two engine created a scenario that could not be recovered from.”

Aftermath And Legacy

Donna Diamond, widowed for a second time, and her extended family have received messages of support from across the nation. Friends and colleagues emphasize honoring Diamond’s legacy through renewed focus on safety and training. Months before his death he left Donna a note that read, “Dear wife, I love you. You are the best part of me,” words she now holds close as she and the community mourn.

The NTSB’s investigation will determine the technical causes and contributing factors. Meanwhile, colleagues, friends and family continue to seek answers while celebrating Diamond’s decades of service to aviation safety and his community.