by Louisville, Kentucky — The widow of a UPS cargo pilot who sent his wife a final “I love you” text minutes before a deadly plane crash has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against companies connected to the aircraft.
Donna Diamond, whose husband Capt. Dana Diamond died in the November 2025 crash of UPS Flight 2976, filed the complaint on Feb. 25 in Jefferson Circuit Court. The lawsuit names Boeing, General Electric and VT San Antonio Aerospace as defendants.
The suit alleges wrongful death, negligence, loss of consortium and related damages stemming from the catastrophic crash near Louisville.
Engine Separation Seconds After Takeoff
On Nov. 4, 2025, UPS Flight 2976 was departing from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport when disaster struck.
According to preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft’s left engine and pylon separated from the wing shortly after liftoff, triggering a fire. The plane reportedly never climbed more than 30 feet above the ground before crashing in a massive explosion.
All three crew members were killed:
- Capt. Dana Diamond, 62
- Capt. Richard Wartenberg, 57
- First Officer Lee Truitt, 45
Twelve bystanders on the ground also died as a result of the crash.
Investigators noted that the 34-year-old Boeing MD-11F aircraft had multiple “fatigue cracks” and fractures.
Lawsuit Alleges Preventable Failure
In the complaint, Donna Diamond’s legal team argues that the engine separation was not an unavoidable accident but rather a failure tied to the aircraft’s manufacturing and maintenance.
“When an engine separates from a wing seconds after takeoff, that’s not an accident. That’s a failure by the companies responsible for building and maintaining that aircraft,” said attorney Mark Lanier.
The lawsuit contends that the companies could have prevented the tragedy through proper care, oversight and transparency.
Boeing and GE Aerospace both issued statements expressing condolences to the victims’ families and said they are cooperating with the NTSB investigation.
A Final Message Before Impact
Donna and Dana Diamond had been married for 10 years. According to the lawsuit, they shared a close bond and built a life together at their ranch in Caldwell, Texas.
Just minutes before the crash, Dana sent his wife a simple message: “I love you.”
Later that day, when Donna saw news coverage of the crash, she collapsed in shock.
“Tragically, Donna would never see her husband alive after that day,” the complaint states.
A Veteran Pilot and Safety Advocate
Dana Diamond joined UPS in 1988 and had become one of the company’s most senior MD-11 pilots. Beyond flying, he served in leadership roles within the Independent Pilots Association and trained more than 1,000 aircraft rescue firefighters.
Colleagues described him as deeply committed to aviation safety.
“He was a champion for safety,” one fellow pilot previously said.
For Donna, who has now lost two husbands in her lifetime, the lawsuit represents both accountability and remembrance.
“I didn’t think I could ever love like I did before,” she said. “But Dana is the one.”
The NTSB investigation remains ongoing.
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