LOUISVILLE- The widow of Caldwell pilot Dana Justin Diamond files the first lawsuit on behalf of a UPS Airlines (5X) flight crew member’s surviving family.
The suit targets Boeing Co., General Electric Co., and VT San Antonio Aerospace after the deadly crash at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF).
Donna Lynn Diamond filed the action on Wednesday in a Kentucky court over the November 2025 UPS Flight 2976 incident.
Lawsuit Alleges Corporate Negligence
According to attorneys with The Lanier Law Firm, the lawsuit claims the crash resulted from corporate negligence rather than an accident.
“When an engine separates from a wing seconds after takeoff, that’s not an accident,” lead attorney Mark Lanier said in a statement to KBTX. “That’s a failure by the companies responsible for building and maintaining that aircraft.”
Dana Justin Diamond served as the international relief officer on UPS Flight 2976. The MD-11F cargo plane bound for Honolulu crashed on takeoff in November 2025.
Flight data cited in the lawsuit shows the aircraft’s left engine and pylon separated from the wing seconds after takeoff from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF).
This triggered a fire and sent the plane into an industrial area south of the airport. The aircraft stayed airborne for 37 seconds and never climbed above 100 feet before crashing into warehouses and buildings.
The crash killed 3 crew members, including Diamond, and 12 individuals on the ground. It remains the deadliest plane crash in UPS history.
Dana Justin Diamond Devoted Career to Safety
Dana Justin Diamond served as a pilot for UPS for more than 37 years. He held the No. 1 seniority position on the MD-11 fleet and ranked No. 5 overall among all UPS pilots.
Before relocating to Burleson County, Diamond served as fire chief for the Rosansky 3-N-1 Volunteer Fire Department, now part of Bastrop County’s ESD 1.
Online records show Diamond had been a certified flight engineer and airline transport pilot rated for 727 and MD-11 planes since 2009.
Diamond received his certification as a flight instructor for both single and multiengine aircraft in 1985.
He also served as vice chairman of the Independent Pilots Association’s Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Committee from 2012 to 2017 and helped educate more than 1,000 personnel from across the nation in airport emergency services.
Court Filing Seeks Punitive Damages
The lawsuit filed in Division Six Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Kentucky, names three defendants.
The aircraft had been converted for cargo operations and operated by UPS since 2006. It used CF6 engines designed and manufactured by General Electric.
VT San Antonio Aerospace performed maintenance work on the aircraft in the weeks before the crash. Sam E. Taylor, senior litigation counsel with The Lanier Law Firm, said the case reflects the need for accountability.
“Dana was passionate about pilot safety and devoted to his family, friends, and community. This tragedy was an absolute betrayal of everything Dana stood for and the professional and personal contributions he made in his life. Through this litigation and Dana’s sacrifice, we will learn more about the causes of this crash and steps to prevent a recurrence.”
The lawsuit, Donna Lynn Diamond v. VT San Antonio Aerospace Inc. et al., asserts claims for wrongful death, negligence, loss of consortium, and related damages for the failures that contributed to the engine separation and resulting crash.
The complaint also requests punitive damages and a trial by jury.
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