3 employees missing from auto parts business after UPS plane crashed into building

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The search for victims of the UPS Flight 2976 crash in Louisville has gone from rescue to recovery.

When the UPS cargo plane went down Tuesday afternoon near Grade Lane and Fern Valley Road, the debris hit two nearby businesses. There were “extra smaller explosions” at Kentucky Petroleum Recycling, which is now known as GFL Environmental, and Grade A Auto Parts was also hit.

Sean Garber is the owner and CEO of Grade A Auto Parts and Recycling. He was out of town and about to fly back to Louisville when he got a call from his CFO.

At first they thought their scrap office blew up. He then FaceTimed his CFO, who was showing him that the lights were off and things were shaking. Then they found out what happened.

"Very shortly after she said it blew up, a bunch of people in the background I heard saying a plane crashed, and Jordy said a plane crashed. And then I thought 'well, maybe the plane crashed in the woods, and so it wasn’t really at our place,' and so I said where did this plane crash and, unfortunately, it crashed on top of us" Garber said.

Employees started implementing the evacuation plan they've practiced in the past, but three employees still haven't been found. They don’t know how many customers were in the building or who was in the building at the time of the crash.

When Garber finally got to the scene, he was stunned.

"I’ve never been in a war zone, but that’s what a war zone must look like," he said. "You can see that our buildings are gone, the plane ended up resting right on top of where our building was, and you can see the landing gear and parts of the airplane sitting right there and you can see all the way down the runway a line of where the disaster and debris are everywhere."

Garber said the building can be replaced, but the priority now is finding the three employees still missing.

"What’s most important to us is figuring out where our three employees are and figuring out where our customers are and doing everything we can to comfort those people," he said.

After that, Garber said the focus will need to be figuring out how to get the business back on its feet.

"People depend on that business every day. Not only our employees, but our customers every day to come in and earn a living off of it, and that business isn’t there today," Garber said.

NTSB says an engine fell off UPS plane before deadly Louisville crash

IMAGES | UPS plane explosion sparks massive plume of smoke across Louisville area

Coffee with Crawford | When the smoke rises, sports take a back seat