The total count of victims due to the transport jet which ignited and went down has risen to 13, as confirmed by recent reports.
Mayor's Remarks
While en route to the Teamsters’ memorial service, I received word of a additional fatality that died as a result of the plane incident,” stated the local official in a public communication. “My heart is with the relatives, friends and co-workers of all who were killed in this week’s disaster. We will overcome this together.”
Deceased Named
A release from UPS identified the flight crew aboard the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts go out to each employee who has been affected and everyone in our Louisville area – assisting you and ensuring you get the care and aid you need is our focus,” the firm’s statement stated.
Investigation Updates
National authorities revealed that the UPS cargo plane’s port side wing caught fire and an power plant separated just after liftoff from the aviation hub, causing the plane to plummet and explode into a fireball.
The safety agency has said it is probing the jet’s maintenance history, that was in Texas for fixes weeks ahead of the incident.
Flight tracking information revealed the jet was on the ground in the Texas city from early September to 18 October.
“We are cognizant that this plane was located in that city,” stated an official on later, without a exact time frame. “We will examine each aspect of maintenance that was performed, from the Texas period, right up to the time of the trip.”
Retrieval of Critical Components
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were found, and the motor was located on the tarmac.
The recorders – referred to as black boxes – were built to endure collision damage and extreme fire from fires, and they seemed to be intact when located among the remains. Investigators intend to examining data from the recorders.
The plane’s last recorded information showed an altitude of that level and a rate of 210 mph before the impact.
Service History
Based on aviation authority records dated that date, a fissure on a part within the fuel container required repairs.
Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which stated it provides airframe maintenance for UPS’s aircraft and manages a service location in that city, chose not to comment, but expressed it would assist completely when officials contacted it.
Activities Resume
Meanwhile, the hub activities continued that evening with its overnight or nighttime process, representative Jim Mayer confirmed. Each of the three runways at the aviation hub were also reopened.
The distribution hub in the city is the firm’s largest. The facility engages in excess of 20,000 workers in the locality, handles numerous flights daily and sorts more than 400,000 parcels per hour.
Public Support
A candlelight vigil was held on the night of that date by the area Teamsters Union, which supports employees at the Louisville airport, the company’s biggest air cargo hub.
Teamsters Local 89, which represents employees, began the gathering with a period of reflection at the evening hour, the approximate time of the crash previously.
“This event was so sudden, so surprising,” the leader told the crowd of two hundred. “No one had a moment to say goodbye to each of those who we have said farewell to.”
