Auto salvage and recycling facility site of fatal plane crash

An auto salvage and metal recycling facility in Louisville, Kentucky, was the site of a fatal cargo plane crash earlier this week, with several employees and customers at the company among the potential victims.

Reports have identified Grade A Auto Parts as a business site devasted by the crash of a UPS cargo plane, partially on its property, this Tuesday.

The company is led by Sean Garber, who earlier in his career was an executive with Industrial Services of America (ISA), also based in Louisville.

Garber tells Spectrum News that three of his employees and an unknown number of Grade A customers were unaccounted for a day after the crash.

“As a businessperson, as an entrepreneur, this isn’t something I ever anticipated having to deal with,” Garber tells Spectrum News. “The human side of all of us is there to make certain that people can get through this the best way that they can.”

Another facility affected by the crash, according to Spectrum News, is Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, which is part of Vaughan, Ontario-based GFL Environmental.

The report quotes both Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as being familiar with longtime corporate citizens Garber and Grade A.

Greenberg refers to Garber as “a good friend,” while Beshear says of the business owner, “He works there with his sons; they take their dogs to work.” Beshear adds that Grade A has a lot of great employees there.

"[Garber] knows everyone that's on that lot, and I just can't imagine how this feels for them today," Beshear says.

In an email to association members, Washington-based Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) President Robin Wiener says the group was “deeply saddened” to learn about the impact on Grade A Auto Salvage, a member company.

On Thursday, UPS released a statement identifying the three crew members of the downed plane, Flight 2976.

According to AP News, as of Thursday evening, at least 13 people were killed when Flight 2976 crashed in Louisville, and another 20 have been injured.