[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 195 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4778-H4779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING LOUISVILLE COMMUNITY AND VICTIMS OF PLANE CRASH

  (Mr. McGarvey of Kentucky was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, on November 4, Louisville was rocked when 
a UPS cargo plane taking off from Louisville's Muhammad Ali 
International Airport bound for Honolulu, Hawaii, crashed shortly after 
takeoff.
  Mr. Speaker, 38,000 gallons of jet fuel erupted. A normal Tuesday 
sunset all of a sudden turned Louisville's skies into an apocalypse. 
Jet-black smoke swirled overhead as fear enveloped our entire city. 
People were sheltered in place everywhere. Debris and ash were

[[Page H4779]]

falling for miles. There was an anxiety as families and loved ones were 
waiting for the worst news. As the smoke cleared, we found out that we 
lost 14 of our neighbors.
  Today, I want to honor those victims of the UPS plane crash.
  Their names, including the crew on the plane: Captain Dana Diamond, 
Captain Richard Wartenberg, and First Officer Lee Truitt.
  We also lost 11 people on the ground that day: Angela Anderson; 
Carlos Fernandez; Louisnes ``Lou'' Fedon and his 3-year-old 
granddaughter, Kimberly Asa, who was with him at the time; Trinadette 
``Trina'' Chavez; Tony Crain; John Loucks; John Spray; Matthew Sweets; 
Ella Petty Whorton; and Megan Washburn.

  Our prayers continue to be with all of them.
  As tragic as this day was, we also saw the best in people in 
Louisville, and our first responders did not shy away from this. You 
can train for it, but you can't ever be ready for a tragedy like this. 
It was said of this inferno that it was hotter than anything you can 
imagine and raining oil, but our firefighters rushed into the scene.
  The first on the scene was the Okolona Fire Department, but fire 
departments from all over joined them: the Louisville Fire Department, 
the Airport Authority Fire Department, the Shively Fire Department, the 
Anchorage-Middletown Fire, St. Matthews Fire, Fern Creek Fire, 
Jeffersontown Fire, Fairdale Fire, PRP Fire, Shepherdsville Fire, 
Zoneton Fire, and even Fayette County, Lexington Fire, came to assist.
  Our police officers also rushed to the scene: Louisville Metro P.D.; 
the Airport Authority P.D.; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; Audubon 
Park Police, who operate in the shadow of the airport daily; Middletown 
Police; St. Matthews Police; the University of Louisville Police; and 
Alcohol Beverage Control.
  We also received EMS responders from Louisville Metro, Anchorage-
Middletown, St. Matthews, Fern Creek, Jeffersontown, Okolona, PRP, and 
Bullitt County.
  Among other first responders who immediately jumped into action were 
the Kentucky Air National Guard Fire and Emergency Services, the 
Kentucky Air National Guard 41st Civil Support Team, the Metropolitan 
Sewer District, the Louisville Metro Emergency Management System, 
American Synthetic Rubber Emergency Response, and the National Weather 
Service.
  Our local and State partners also all came together. Mayor Craig 
Greenberg and his entire team from the Louisville Metro Government were 
incredible. Our Governor, Andy Beshear, and all the State emergency 
personnel rushed into action, including our Federal delegation, 
everyone.
  It doesn't matter, Democrat or Republican, where you are from, 
everyone came together because this is what we do in Louisville, and 
this is what we do in Kentucky. We come together. We help people. We 
help our neighbors when we see they are in need.
  Long after the television cameras are gone and this story fades from 
the daily news, our community will still be hurting, but we will still 
be helping each other, lifting each other up, wrapping our arms around 
each other, there for each other today and every day going forward. 
That is what we do in Louisville, and that is how we help those 
impacted.
  Mr. Speaker, I give praise for our first responders. I give prayers 
and love to everyone impacted.

                          ____________________