LOUISVILLE, KY — Family members and coworkers are still searching for Ella Petty Whorton, one of several individuals unaccounted for following the catastrophic UPS Flight 2976 crash near Grade Lane and Fern Valley Road in Louisville.

Whorton, who frequently visited Grade A Auto Parts to drop off scrap metal, was last confirmed to have been at the business before the tragedy occurred.

Loved ones say they are desperate for answers, holding on to hope that she will be found.

The crash devastated the Grade A Auto Parts community, claiming the lives of several employees and leaving others missing.

The business, which was struck and destroyed when the UPS cargo plane went down, has suffered a total loss—both structurally and emotionally.

Among the victims remembered:

Megan Washburn, 35, a scrap metal buyer and customer experience agent at Grade A Auto Parts. A devoted mother, she leaves behind a 20-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter.

John Loucks, 52, a heavy equipment operator, was known for his work ethic and kindness. Though he had no children, his colleagues described him as family.

Matt Sweets, a University of Louisville business school graduate, was a beloved partner, father, and brother. He is survived by his longtime partner Brooke Murray and their two children. His sister, Michelle, affectionately remembered him as “Matty,” a name now filled with both love and loss.

Family and friends are mourning the tragic loss of Louisnes “Lou” Fedon and his young granddaughter Kimberly Asa, who were among the victims killed in the UPS Flight 2976 plane crash near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on November 4, 2025.

Lou Fedon and his granddaughter Kimberly Asa were innocently caught in the wrong place at the wrong time when the UPS cargo plane — a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 — plummeted from the sky and exploded into a massive fireball, destroying multiple structures in an industrial area near Grade Lane and Fern Valley Road.

Lou was far more than a grandfather and father — he was a cornerstone of daily life for Shayna and Sheldon.

His death has left a profound emotional and logistical void that the family is struggling to fill.

UPS has also confirmed the identities of the three flight crew members who perished aboard UPS Flight 2976:

• Captain Richard Wartenberg
• First Officer Lee Truitt
• International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond

The search for the missing continues, with three Grade A Auto Parts employees still unaccounted for.

Sean Garber, owner and CEO of the company, identified two of them as Megan Washburn and John Loucks, noting that the third employee’s family has requested privacy.

Garber described the immense grief and disbelief shared by his team and their families:

“Nobody can comprehend an airplane crashing into your business, destroying it, taking fellow team members away from us where we don’t know where they are, not having your job the next day,” he said. “It’s one thing to hear about it—it’s another to live it.”

Though the business itself is a total loss, Garber emphasized that their primary focus is supporting the families of those affected.

He also called for accountability, questioning how a cargo plane carrying 38,000 gallons of fuel could lose an engine during takeoff over a populated area.

“Our hearts go out to those pilots and their families,” Garber continued. “They didn’t sign up for this, and neither did our employees. But someone was negligent—someone allowed this to happen—and those responsible must be held accountable.”

As investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continue to examine the wreckage, the Louisville community remains united in mourning and support.

Vigils and fundraisers have been organized to assist the affected families, as they cling to faith and the hope of closure amid overwhelming loss.

“Please keep these families in your prayers,” Garber urged. “They’re living through something no one should ever have to experience.”