The total count of victims due to the freight aircraft which burst into flames and plummeted has now reached 13, per official statements.
City Leader's Statement
Traveling to the Union’s memorial service, I learned of a thirteenth victim that passed away as a consequence of the aircraft incident,” expressed the local official in a social media post. “My thoughts is with the loved ones, associates and peers of all who were killed in this recently occurred tragedy. We will overcome this as one.”
Victims Named
A statement from the company listed the officers operating the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts go out to every employee who has been impacted and all in our local area – supporting you and making sure you receive the support and resources you need is our priority,” the organization’s message read.
Probe Findings
Government officials announced that the UPS cargo plane’s port side wing ignited and an power plant separated soon after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, causing the aircraft to plummet and explode into a inferno.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is investigating the jet’s upkeep logs, which was in Texas for fixes several weeks ahead of the incident.
Flight tracking information revealed the jet was on the tarmac in the Texas city from early September to last week.
“We are aware that this plane was there in San Antonio,” stated an official on Thursday, without a exact time frame. “We will examine every piece of maintenance that was done, even the San Antonio period, right up to the day of the trip.”
Recovery of Key Components
The pilot’s recorder and information unit were recovered, and the power plant was discovered on the tarmac.
The units – called flight recorders – were designed to withstand collision damage and severe fire from fires, and they appeared to be intact when discovered among the wreckage. Authorities plan on reviewing data from the black boxes.
Jet’s last data recordings displayed an height of 475 feet and a speed of 210 mph before the impact.
Service Background
According to Federal Aviation Administration records dated 18 September, a fissure on a part within the center wing fuel tank needed fixes.
Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which stated it offers structural repairs for UPS’s jet and runs a repair facility in that city, chose not to provide remarks, but said it would cooperate fully when investigators contacted it.
Services Restart
Meanwhile, UPS Worldport services restarted Wednesday night with its express or night sort procedure, representative the company official confirmed. All three landing strips at Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport were also reopened.
The UPS package handling facility in the city is the company’s biggest. The hub employs over a large number of workers in the locality, processes three hundred aircraft per day and sorts more than four hundred thousand packages an hour.
Community Reaction
A gathering was conducted on the late afternoon of that date by the local Teamsters Union, which represents staff at the Louisville airport, the company’s primary air cargo hub.
Worker representatives, which supports UPS workers, started the memorial with a quiet tribute at the evening hour, the rough time of the crash two days earlier.
“This incident was so abrupt, so surprising,” the mayor addressed the group of attendees. “No one had a chance to say goodbye to each of those who we have mourned.”
