The tally of victims resulting from the transport jet which caught fire and went down has risen to 13, per official statements.
City Leader's Statement
Traveling to the Teamsters’ candlelight gathering, I learned of a 13th person that lost their life as a result of the aircraft crash,” expressed the city mayor in a online message. “My thoughts is with the families, friends and co-workers of all who were taken in this recently occurred disaster. We will get through this collectively.”
Deceased Confirmed
A release from the company identified the flight crew operating the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts are extended to all staff member who has been impacted and everyone in our Louisville region – assisting you and guaranteeing you obtain the support and resources you need is our focus,” the company’s communication expressed.
Investigation Updates
Government authorities revealed that the jet’s wing caught fire and an power plant detached soon after departure from the airfield, leading to the jet to plummet and explode into a fireball.
The NTSB announced it is investigating the plane’s maintenance history, that was in the state for repairs weeks ahead of the incident.
Aviation data showed the aircraft was on the ground in San Antonio, Texas from the start of last month to last week.
“We are cognizant that this plane was present in the facility,” remarked an NTSB member on the following day, without a specific date range. “We will review each aspect of service that was performed, even the repair time, right up to the date of the trip.”
Retrieval of Critical Items
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered, and the motor was found on the tarmac.
The units – referred to as data containers – were designed to survive accident forces and extreme temperatures from fires, and they looked to be intact when located amid the remains. Investigators plan on examining recordings from the black boxes.
The plane’s final data recordings displayed an altitude of 475 ft and a velocity of that speed prior to the accident.
Maintenance History
Per FAA records dated that date, a fracture on a component within the fuel container needed repairs.
Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which indicated it supplies structural repairs for UPS’s jet and manages a service location in San Antonio, chose not to provide remarks, but stated it would work closely when officials contacted it.
Activities Resume
In the meantime, the hub operations resumed that evening with its overnight or nighttime procedure, representative Jim Mayer stated. Each of the three runways at the airport were likewise open again.
The distribution hub in the city is the firm’s biggest. The hub engages over 20,000 individuals in the area, processes numerous aircraft per day and sorts over 400,000 parcels each hour.
Community Response
A memorial was organized on the evening of that date by the local Teamsters Union, which supports workers at the Louisville airport, the company’s largest shipping facility.
Teamsters Local 89, which represents employees, started the gathering with a moment of silence at the evening hour, the approximate hour of the incident before.
“This event was so unexpected, so surprising,” the official addressed the crowd of 200. “No one had a chance to say goodbye to any of those who we have said farewell to.”
