By: Aly West

UPS flight 2976 was bound to Honolulu, Hawaii, from Louisville, Kentucky, on November 4. Three crew members were on board that flight and unfortunately died in the crash due to complications within the MD-11 airliner- causing destruction on Muhammad Ali International Airport near Grade Lane/Fern Valley Road. 

Bellbrook resident and United Airlines pilot Captain Doug West explained the situation. “The aircraft has three engines,” West said. “When it lifted off the runway, one engine broke off because part of the mount was weak. That engine falling off then damaged the second engine, so it stopped working too. So right at the moment it needed the most power, the aircraft was trying to take off with only one engine left.”

The crew members, including Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond, were operating the flight that night. Other casualties occurred due to surroundings and a nearby petroleum recycling facility. 

West knew Wartenberg quite well. “He was in the same squadron flying the same C-17 as me at Wright Patterson Air Force Base,” West said. “It wasn’t really until he retired several years before me that I learned how close he was with my neighbor. We were then able to get reacquainted during evening fire pits in my neighbor’s backyard.”

“This was definitely a tragedy for the squadron and his UPS friends moving forward. They’ve already reached out to his family to give them all the support they can provide,” West said. “He was always outgoing, a positive thinker, and had a great sense of humor.”

Carol Tome, UPS CEO, sent a message to the employees to honor all those who had been impacted by Flight 2976. “We will keep them in our hearts as we continue our commitment to safety, care and community,” Tome said. 

Pilots are constantly training for emergencies in the air through simulators and prior experiences. While not all emergencies are preventable, pilots are still preparing for them. 

Andrew West, Doug West’s son and a senior at Bellbrook High School, is interested in joining the Air Force to become a pilot and eventually fly for commercial airlines. “Aviation can be a dangerous job,” Andrew West said. “Everyone should know that before going into that career, but it shouldn’t stop you from wanting to achieve your dream of becoming a pilot.”