The number of victims from the UPS cargo plane which caught fire and crashed has risen to 13, per official announcements.
Mayor's Statement
While en route to the Teamsters’ vigil, I was informed of a thirteenth victim that lost their life as a consequence of the aircraft incident,” wrote the municipal leader in a social media post. “My prayers is with the families, associates and peers of all who were taken in this recent disaster. We will endure this together.”
Deceased Identified
An announcement from the company identified the pilots aboard the jet as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts are extended to every staff member who has been impacted and everyone in our Louisville community – helping you and making sure you get the attention and assistance you need is our focus,” the firm’s message read.
Investigation Updates
Government investigators revealed that the freight aircraft’s port side wing burst into flames and an power plant detached shortly after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, leading to the aircraft to fall and explode into a fireball.
The NTSB has said it is investigating the plane’s upkeep logs, which was in the state for repairs weeks ahead of the incident.
Aviation data revealed the plane was on the ground in that location from 3 September to last week.
“We are knowledgeable that this aircraft was present in that city,” said an NTSB member on the following day, not giving a exact period. “We will examine all elements of maintenance that was completed, even the repair period, right up to the time of the flight.”
Retrieval of Key Components
The pilot’s recorder and data recorder were recovered, and the power plant was located on the tarmac.
The recorders – called data containers – were designed to endure collision damage and intense fire from infernos, and they appeared to be undamaged when discovered within the wreckage. Investigators will examining data from the black boxes.
Aircraft’s last recorded information indicated an elevation of 475 ft and a speed of 210 mph ahead of the impact.
Repair Record
Per aviation authority records from that date, a crack on a structural piece inside the tank area required repairs.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which indicated it provides aircraft servicing for UPS’s MD-11 and operates a service location in San Antonio, declined to provide remarks, but expressed it would work closely when officials contacted it.
Activities Resume
Meanwhile, the facility operations resumed that evening with its overnight or nighttime operation, representative Jim Mayer said. The three tarmacs at the aviation hub were also back in operation.
The distribution hub in Louisville is the company’s biggest. The facility hires over 20,000 people in the area, handles numerous aircraft per day and processes over four hundred thousand packages each hour.
Community Support
A candlelight vigil was held on the evening of that date by the regional Teamsters Union, which represents staff at the Louisville airport, the firm’s biggest air cargo hub.
The union chapter, which stands for employees, began the vigil with a quiet tribute at 5.14pm, the rough time of the crash two days earlier.
“This tragedy was so sudden, so unexpected,” the official spoke to the group of attendees. “No one had a chance to part to any one of those who we have said farewell to.”
