Former Bastrop County Fire Chief Among Victims in UPS Plane Crash

Dana Diamond was one of three crew members who died when UPS Flight 2976 went down in Louisville shortly after 5 p.m. local time.

Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 1

A former Bastrop County fire chief was among the three UPS crew members killed Tuesday when a cargo plane crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, the company confirmed.

Dana Diamond previously served as fire chief, and later commissioner, of Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 1. He was working as an international relief officer aboard UPS Flight 2976 when the aircraft went down. The MD-11F freighter lifted off just after 5 p.m. and crashed minutes later. It was departing for Honolulu, and Diamond's job was to take over during the nine-hour flight to allow the other pilot to rest.

Preliminary information released by the National Transportation Safety Board indicated that a fire broke out in the aircraft’s left wing and the No. 2 engine separated from the fuselage.

The impact ignited a large industrial fire near the airfield and scattered debris across several blocks. All three crew members died at the scene.

The crash left at least 13 people dead with many more missing and injured. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called some of those injuries “very significant.”

Diamond was a resident of nearby Burleson County and spent years in volunteer and paid emergency service roles across Central Texas. At Bastrop ESD No. 1, he helped guide the district through wildfire seasons, department expansions and volunteer shortages.

In a statement released Friday morning, the district called Diamond’s contributions to the community “immeasurable.”

“He ran towards danger so the rest of us can step back from it and that kind of devotion to his community leaves a mark on everyone it touches,” the statement said. “He leaves behind not only a legacy of service but also the memories with fellow firefighters and the community he served.”

UPS said it is fully cooperating in a federal investigation into the incident, which will likely take months to yield a detailed report.

The airport reopened Wednesday, but investigations on-site continue.