The number of fatalities from the freight aircraft which caught fire and went down has now risen to 13, per recent announcements.
Mayor's Statement
While en route to the Teamsters’ memorial service, I learned of a 13th person that died as a consequence of the UPS flight 2976 crash,” wrote the city mayor in a public communication. “My prayers are with the families, associates and peers of all who were lost in this week’s calamity. We will endure this collectively.”
Victims Confirmed
A statement from the company named the flight crew operating the jet as Captain Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our hearts go out to all staff member who has been impacted and all in our community area – assisting you and ensuring you receive the care and resources you need is our focus,” the company’s message read.
Inquiry Updates
National officials revealed that the UPS cargo plane’s left wing caught fire and an power plant separated shortly after liftoff from the aviation hub, leading to the jet to fall and erupt into a fireball.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is probing the plane’s service record, which was in Texas for fixes a period prior to the accident.
Aircraft records revealed the jet was on the tarmac in San Antonio, Texas from 3 September to mid-October.
“We are aware that this plane was there in the facility,” remarked an investigator on the following day, not giving a specific date range. “We will review all elements of maintenance that was done, even the Texas visit, all the way to the date of the trip.”
Findings of Critical Evidence
The pilot’s recorder and information unit were recovered, and the power plant was located on the tarmac.
The recorders – known as black boxes – were constructed to withstand collision damage and intense fire from blazes, and they looked to be in one piece when discovered amid the remains. Investigators intend to analyzing data from the black boxes.
Aircraft’s last flight details showed an elevation of 475 ft and a speed of 210 mph prior to the impact.
Service Background
Per aviation authority records dated last month, a crack on a structural piece in the center wing fuel tank needed repairs.
Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which stated it offers airframe maintenance for UPS’s MD-11 and operates a repair facility in that city, chose not to comment, but expressed it would work closely when officials contacted it.
Operations Restart
In the meantime, the hub services continued Wednesday night with its Next Day Air or night sort procedure, spokesperson Jim Mayer stated. Each of the three tarmacs at Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport were additionally reopened.
The UPS package handling facility in the city is the company’s most significant. The facility employs in excess of twenty thousand individuals in the region, manages 300 flights daily and processes more than four hundred thousand items per hour.
Community Response
A memorial was conducted on the night of that date by the area Teamsters Union, which represents workers at the airfield, the organization’s largest freight center.
Teamsters Local 89, which supports employees, began the gathering with a period of reflection at 5.14pm, the estimated moment of the incident before.
“This tragedy was so abrupt, so surprising,” the official addressed the crowd of two hundred. “No one had a chance to say goodbye to any of those who we have mourned.”
