The number of victims resulting from the freight aircraft that caught fire and went down has now climbed to 13, as confirmed by official statements.
Mayor's Statement
Traveling to the Teamsters’ vigil, I learned of a additional fatality that passed away as a outcome of the UPS flight 2976 accident,” expressed the local official in a social media post. “My heart are with the families, friends and colleagues of all who were lost in this recent disaster. We will endure this collectively.”
Casualties Confirmed
A statement from the carrier identified the flight crew aboard the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Captain Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts are extended to each UPSer who has been impacted and all in our community community – supporting you and guaranteeing you obtain the attention and assistance you need is our priority,” the company’s message expressed.
Inquiry Findings
Government authorities revealed that the UPS cargo plane’s left wing burst into flames and an motor fell off soon after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, causing the aircraft to fall and burst into a blaze.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is investigating the plane’s service record, which was in Texas for fixes several weeks before the accident.
Flight tracking records indicated the jet was on the tarmac in San Antonio, Texas from 3 September to last week.
“We are aware that this jet was there in San Antonio,” stated an official on later, not giving a specific date range. “We will examine all elements of repairs that was performed, even the Texas visit, all the way to the time of the trip.”
Recovery of Key Evidence
The cockpit voice recorder and data recorder were recovered, and the power plant was discovered on the runway.
The devices – called black boxes – were constructed to withstand crash impacts and extreme temperatures from fires, and they seemed to be in one piece when located amid the crash debris. Officials intend to analyzing data from the recorders.
The plane’s concluding flight details displayed an height of 475 ft and a velocity of 210 mph prior to the crash.
Service Record
Per aviation authority records from last month, a fissure on a part inside the fuel container needed repairs.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which indicated it supplies airframe maintenance for UPS’s MD-11 and operates a repair facility in San Antonio, chose not to provide remarks, but expressed it would cooperate fully when investigators contacted it.
Activities Continue
At the same time, the hub operations restarted that evening with its overnight or nighttime process, official Jim Mayer confirmed. Each of the three landing strips at Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport were additionally open again.
The distribution hub in the city is the firm’s largest. The facility hires in excess of a large number of individuals in the region, processes numerous aircraft per day and organizes over four hundred thousand items an hour.
Community Response
A gathering was conducted on the night of that date by the regional labor union, which acts for staff at the airfield, the company’s biggest air cargo hub.
The union chapter, which supports employees, began the memorial with a quiet tribute at 5.14pm, the estimated hour of the incident before.
“This incident was so unexpected, so unforeseen,” the leader told the crowd of 200. “No one had a opportunity to part to any of those who we have lost.”
