The tally of victims due to the freight aircraft which burst into flames and plummeted has climbed to 13, per official statements.
City Leader's Remarks
“On my way to the Union’s memorial service, I was informed of a 13th person that died as a result of the UPS flight 2976 crash,” expressed the local official in a public communication. “My heart is with the loved ones, friends and peers of all who were killed in this recently occurred tragedy. We will overcome this collectively.”
Deceased Identified
A release from UPS identified the flight crew operating the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Captain Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts go out to each employee who has been touched and all in our Louisville region – helping you and making sure you get the care and resources you need is our priority,” the company’s message stated.
Probe Findings
Federal officials announced that the freight aircraft’s port side wing burst into flames and an motor separated shortly after departure from the aviation hub, causing the jet to fall and erupt into a inferno.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated it is probing the aircraft’s service record, that was in Texas for repairs weeks before the crash.
Aircraft information revealed the plane was on the ground in San Antonio, Texas from early September to 18 October.
“We are aware that this jet was present in that city,” said an investigator on later, without a precise date range. “We will examine each aspect of service that was done, even the San Antonio time, straight to the date of the journey.”
Retrieval of Vital Items
The pilot’s recorder and flight data recorder were recovered, and the power plant was located on the tarmac.
The devices – called black boxes – were constructed to survive accident forces and severe temperatures from blazes, and they looked to be intact when located amid the remains. Officials plan on analyzing data from the black boxes.
Jet’s last flight details indicated an height of 475 ft and a velocity of 210 mph before the impact.
Service History
According to aviation authority files from 18 September, a fracture on a part in the center wing fuel tank needed maintenance.
The company ST Engineering, which said it supplies structural repairs for the carrier’s MD-11 and operates a repair facility in San Antonio, refused to speak, but stated it would work closely when officials approached it.
Services Continue
Meanwhile, the facility operations resumed that evening with its overnight also known as night sort operation, official Jim Mayer said. All three runways at Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport were also back in operation.
The distribution hub in the city is the firm’s biggest. The center employs over twenty thousand workers in the area, handles three hundred aircraft daily and sorts in excess of 400,000 parcels per hour.
Public Response
A candlelight vigil was held on the evening of that date by the area labor union, which supports workers at the aviation hub, the company’s largest shipping facility.
Worker representatives, which stands for UPS workers, commenced the memorial with a quiet tribute at that time, the estimated time of the accident previously.
“This tragedy was so sudden, so surprising,” the official told the crowd of two hundred. “No one had a moment to bid farewell to any one of those who we have lost.”
