The families of two victims killed in a UPS cargo jet crash at the company’s World Port hub in Louisville, Kentucky, have filed wrongful death lawsuits.
An MD-11 cargo plane headed to Honolulu, Hawaii, crashed near Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville on November 4, killing three UPS pilots and 11 people on the ground. Another 23 people were injured.
The aircraft plunged into an industrial area near the airport and erupted into a massive fireball after its left engine detached during takeoff.
The lawsuits list UPS, UPS Air, Boeing, GE, and VT San Antonio Aerospace — an aircraft maintenance company — as defendants. The Independent has requested comments from all parties named.
Robert Clifford, the lead attorney for the families, claims the crash resulted from corporate decisions to keep aging MD-11 aircraft — many over 30 years old — in service without performing thorough inspections.
A UPS MD-11 cargo jet crashed near Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville on November 4, 2025, triggering an enormous explosion. The families of two of the 14 people killed have filed wrongful death lawsuits against multiple defendants connected to the crash (Courtesy of X account @LeviDean9)
“This plane should have never been airworthy to be in the air that day, and this crash was preventable,” Bradley Cosgrove of Clifford Law Offices said during a press conference. “We hope to find all of the reasons why it was preventable.”
The families suing include those of Angela Anderson, who died while shopping near the airport, and Trinadette Chavez, who was working at an auto parts store when the plane hit.
Chavez’s family said they will “fight for her, no matter how long it takes, just like she always did for us,” during Wednesday’s press conference announcing the lawsuits.
Her sister, Gabriela Hermosillo-Nunez, told Louisville Public Media that Chavez was the “heart and soul” of their family.
A satellite image taken and released by Vantor on November 5, 2025 shows a close-up of the debris path left by the cargo plane after it crashed shortly after takeoff near Louisville International Airport. (Vantor)
“While others her age were living their childhoods, [Chavez], who was a child herself, was feeding us, changing our diapers, teaching us, protecting us, and showering us with love,” she said.
UPS and GE both issued statements saying they do not comment on pending litigation but emphasized that safety remains a top priority.
Following the crash, the FAA grounded all MD-11 aircraft for inspections and safety reviews.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are conducting investigations. The FAA expects to issue its final report on the cause of the crash in 2026.
Along with the families’ lawsuits, the federal government has also sued UPS, accusing the company of negligence and “wanton conduct.”
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