A Cuban immigrant who had built a new life working at a Kentucky scrapyard died on Christmas Day from severe burns suffered in last month’s UPS cargo plane crash, raising the death toll to 15, officials said.
Alain Rodriguez Colina was on the ground when the plane, fully loaded with fuel for a flight to Hawaii, plowed into businesses after departing Louisville’s airport, exploding in a massive fireball. Gov. Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg confirmed his death via social media.
“May Alain’s memory be a blessing,” the mayor said late Thursday.
Three pilots and multiple people died after the plane’s left engine detached during takeoff on Nov. 4, and cracks were later found where the engine connected to the wing, the National Transportation Safety Board said. Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport is home the largest UPS package delivery hub.
Colina, a Cuban immigrant, had worked at the nearby Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling since 2023, moving up rapidly to the position of metal buyer, said owner and CEO Sean Garber in a phone interview Friday. Colina embraced the company’s culture and life in Louisville and even became a University of Kentucky fan. His mother and siblings lived in the area and he had a daughter in Cuba, he said.
Workers at the scrapyard have described the scramble to help survivors after the crash. Colina had been with a customer and a coworker who died, Garber said. Colina got out, but he was burned over 50% of his body and doctors didn’t give him much of a chance for recovery. He was in an induced coma, never regaining consciousness. His family visited often.
After surviving so many weeks, it seemed like he was starting to heal, and Garber said concern was mixed with optimism. But on Thursday, Colina took a turn for the worse.
He was a good man, Garber said, with a big heart who cared about the organization, customers and his family.
“He believed in the opportunity he got in the United States and really made the most of it,” Garber said. “He should still be with us.”
Earlier this month, a lawyer filed two wrongful death lawsuits that allege that the company kept flying older aircrafts without increasing maintenance beyond what’s regularly scheduled. The lawsuit also names General Electric, which made the plane’s engine. Both UPS and GE have said they don’t comment on pending lawsuits but safety remains their top priority as they assist the federal investigation. That litigation does not include Colina.
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all MD-11s, which had exclusively been used for hauling cargo for more than a decade.
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