A scrapyard worker injured in the UPS plane crash dies on Christmas,
raising deaths to 15
[December 27, 2025]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — 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 had worked since 2023 at the nearby Grade A Auto Parts &
Recycling, 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, even becoming 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 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.
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This photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board
shows UPS plane crash scene on Nov. 6, 2025 in Louisville, Ky. (NTSB
via AP)
“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.
Local businesses and more than 90 people affected by the crash,
including Colina, plan to file another lawsuit in the coming weeks, said
attorney Masten Childers III, whose firm is one of two representing
those plaintiffs.
“Alain fought hard,” Childers said. “Alain’s passing must be honored by
holding those responsible for his death accountable.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all MD-11s, the type of
plane involved in the crash, which have been used only for hauling cargo
for more than a decade.
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