The number of victims from the freight aircraft that ignited and plummeted has now reached 13, as confirmed by recent reports.
Official's Statement
While en route to the Teamsters’ memorial service, I received word of a thirteenth victim that lost their life as a consequence of the aircraft accident,” wrote the local official in a social media post. “My thoughts are with the loved ones, companions and colleagues of all who were taken in this recent disaster. We will get through this as one.”
Victims Named
A statement from the company named the flight crew operating the aircraft as Captain Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our hearts are extended to all employee who has been affected and everyone in our local area – assisting you and making sure you obtain the attention and aid you need is our focus,” the company’s statement expressed.
Inquiry Findings
National officials revealed that the UPS cargo plane’s port side wing burst into flames and an motor detached soon after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, leading to the plane to plummet and erupt into a fireball.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is investigating the jet’s maintenance history, that was in the state for fixes several weeks prior to the accident.
Aviation information revealed the aircraft was on the runway in San Antonio, Texas from early September to mid-October.
“We are knowledgeable that this plane was located in San Antonio,” stated an investigator on later, without providing a specific period. “We will look at each aspect of repairs that was done, from the Texas visit, right up to the date of the trip.”
Retrieval of Key Components
The audio device and data recorder were retrieved, and the motor was located on the tarmac.
The recorders – referred to as flight recorders – were built to endure accident forces and extreme heat from fires, and they appeared to be in one piece when discovered amid the wreckage. Investigators will examining data from the recorders.
Jet’s concluding flight details showed an altitude of 475 ft and a speed of that speed before the accident.
Maintenance Background
Per aviation authority documents dated 18 September, a crack on a component in the center wing fuel tank needed repairs.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which stated it provides structural repairs for UPS’s jet and runs a repair facility in that city, declined to speak, but expressed it would assist completely when officials reached out it.
Services Resume
In the meantime, UPS Worldport activities resumed that evening with its express or evening operation, representative a representative stated. All three landing strips at the aviation hub were likewise back in operation.
The sorting center in this location is the company’s largest. The center hires more than a large number of workers in the locality, handles numerous aircraft daily and processes over 400,000 parcels per hour.
Local Reaction
A candlelight vigil was held on the evening of that date by the regional labor union, which acts for workers at the Louisville airport, the organization’s largest air cargo hub.
The union chapter, which represents staff, started the gathering with a period of reflection at the evening hour, the approximate hour of the crash previously.
“This tragedy was so abrupt, so unexpected,” the leader spoke to the group of two hundred. “No one had a chance to say goodbye to any of those who we have lost.”
