The number of victims resulting from the transport jet which caught fire and crashed has now risen to 13, per recent reports.
Mayor's Statement
“On my way to the Teamsters’ vigil, I received word of a additional fatality that passed away as a consequence of the aircraft crash,” stated the city mayor in a public communication. “My heart is with the loved ones, associates and co-workers of all who were lost in this recent tragedy. We will overcome this as one.”
Victims Confirmed
A release from UPS listed the officers on board the jet as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our sympathies reach out to each UPSer who has been impacted and all in our local area – supporting you and ensuring you receive the attention and assistance you need is our focus,” the company’s message read.
Probe Details
Federal officials announced that the freight aircraft’s wing caught fire and an engine fell off soon after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, leading to the plane to fall and explode into a blaze.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is examining the aircraft’s maintenance history, which was in the state for repairs weeks prior to the accident.
Aircraft data indicated the aircraft was on the tarmac in the Texas city from the start of last month to mid-October.
“We are cognizant that this plane was there in the facility,” said an NTSB member on later, not giving a specific date range. “We will look at each aspect of service that was done, from the Texas period, all the way to the time of the trip.”
Recovery of Critical Components
The cockpit voice recorder and information unit were recovered, and the motor was located on the tarmac.
The units – called flight recorders – were constructed to withstand collision damage and extreme fire from infernos, and they seemed to be intact when discovered amid the wreckage. Officials plan on reviewing information from the devices.
Jet’s final flight details indicated an height of 475 ft and a velocity of 210 mph before the impact.
Repair Record
Based on aviation authority documents dated that date, a fracture on a structural piece within the tank area required repairs.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which indicated it offers aircraft servicing for UPS’s jet and runs a maintenance center in that city, declined to speak, but said it would cooperate fully when officials approached it.
Activities Resume
Meanwhile, UPS Worldport operations restarted Wednesday night with its overnight also known as evening process, spokesperson the company official confirmed. All three runways at the aviation hub were likewise reopened.
The UPS package handling facility in Louisville is the firm’s biggest. The center employs more than 20,000 people in the region, manages 300 trips daily and sorts in excess of four hundred thousand packages per hour.
Local Response
A gathering was organized on the evening of that date by the area Teamsters Union, which supports workers at the airfield, the company’s largest air cargo hub.
Teamsters Local 89, which supports UPS workers, commenced the vigil with a moment of silence at 5.14pm, the estimated hour of the incident before.
“This tragedy was so unexpected, so surprising,” the leader told the crowd of attendees. “No one had a opportunity to bid farewell to any of those who we have lost.”
