The tally of victims resulting from the freight aircraft which caught fire and plummeted has now reached 13, per latest reports.
City Leader's Remarks
Traveling to the Workers’ candlelight gathering, I received word of a thirteenth victim that died as a outcome of the UPS flight 2976 accident,” expressed the city mayor in a social media post. “My thoughts are with the relatives, associates and co-workers of all who were lost in this recent tragedy. We will overcome this collectively.”
Victims Identified
A release from UPS listed the flight crew aboard the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our sympathies are extended to all staff member who has been affected and everyone in our Louisville area – helping you and making sure you get the care and assistance you need is our focus,” the firm’s message read.
Investigation Updates
Federal authorities announced that the freight aircraft’s wing caught fire and an power plant detached soon after liftoff from the aviation hub, leading to the plane to plummet and erupt into a fireball.
The safety agency has said it is probing the plane’s upkeep logs, which was in Texas for fixes weeks before the accident.
Aircraft records indicated the aircraft was on the ground in San Antonio, Texas from early September to last week.
“We are knowledgeable that this jet was present in San Antonio,” remarked an investigator on later, not giving a precise period. “We will examine each aspect of service that was completed, from the repair visit, all the way to the day of the trip.”
Recovery of Key Items
The audio device and data recorder were found, and the engine was found on the airfield.
The devices – referred to as black boxes – were built to endure collision damage and intense temperatures from fires, and they appeared to be undamaged when located among the wreckage. Officials will analyzing data from the recorders.
The plane’s final data recordings indicated an height of that level and a velocity of 210 mph prior to the impact.
Repair Record
According to aviation authority documents dated last month, a fracture on a structural piece inside the fuel container demanded maintenance.
Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which stated it supplies airframe maintenance for UPS’s MD-11 and runs a repair facility in San Antonio, refused to speak, but said it would cooperate fully when officials contacted it.
Operations Restart
In the meantime, the hub operations restarted Wednesday night with its overnight also known as nighttime operation, official Jim Mayer stated. The three landing strips at the aviation hub were also reopened.
The UPS package handling facility in this location is the company’s most significant. The hub employs more than twenty thousand workers in the area, processes three hundred flights per day and organizes in excess of a huge volume of items an hour.
Local Reaction
A memorial was organized on the night of recently by the regional Teamsters Union, which represents workers at the Louisville airport, the organization’s primary air cargo hub.
The union chapter, which supports UPS workers, started the gathering with a moment of silence at 5.14pm, the approximate hour of the incident before.
“This event was so unexpected, so surprising,” the leader spoke to the assembly of 200. “No one had a moment to part to any one of those who we have said farewell to.”
