A Cuban immigrant who had built a new life working at a Kent
ucky 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 May
or 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 N
ational Transportation Safety Board said. Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport is home the largest UPS package delivery hub.
Colina had worked since 2023 at the nearby Grade A Auto P
arts & Recycling, moving up rapidly to the position of metal buyer, said owner and CEO Sean Garber in a phone intervi
ew Friday. Colina embraced the company’s culture and life in Louisville, even becoming a University of Kentucky
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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 sa
id. Colina got out but was burned over 50% of his body, and doctors didn’t have much hope for a recovery.
He was in an induced coma, never regaining consciousness. His family visited often. It seemed like he was
starting to heal, Garber said, but on Thursday he took a turn for the worse.
Colina was a good man, Garber said, with a big heart who cared about the business, 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 air
crafts without increasing maintenance beyond what’s regularly scheduled. The lawsuit also names General Electri
c, which made the plane’s engine. Both UPS and GE have said they don’t comment on pending lawsuits but safety rem
ains their top priority as they assist the federal investigation. That litigation does not include Colina.
Local businesses and more than 90 people affected by the crash, including Colina, plan to file another lawsuit in th
e coming weeks, said attorney Masten Childers III, whose firm is one of two representing those plaintiffs.