The number of fatalities due to the freight aircraft which caught fire and plummeted has now risen to 13, as confirmed by recent announcements.
Mayor's Statement
Traveling to the Teamsters’ candlelight gathering, I received word of a additional fatality that lost their life as a outcome of the aircraft crash,” expressed the municipal leader in a online message. “My thoughts is with the families, companions and peers of all who were taken in this recent disaster. We will endure this collectively.”
Victims Named
A statement from the company identified the flight crew on board the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our sympathies are extended to each employee who has been touched and everyone in our Louisville community – helping you and ensuring you receive the support and assistance you need is our priority,” the company’s communication read.
Investigation Details
Government investigators announced that the freight aircraft’s wing ignited and an motor fell off shortly after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, resulting in the plane to fall and explode into a inferno.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated it is examining the aircraft’s upkeep logs, that was in Texas for repairs several weeks prior to the incident.
Aviation information revealed the aircraft was on the tarmac in San Antonio, Texas from the start of last month to mid-October.
“We are aware that this jet was located in that city,” said an official on later, without a exact date range. “We will look at every piece of maintenance that was completed, from the Texas visit, all the way to the time of the trip.”
Findings of Critical Components
The cockpit voice recorder and data recorder were retrieved, and the power plant was discovered on the runway.
The units – known as black boxes – were built to survive collision damage and intense heat from fires, and they seemed to be intact when located among the wreckage. Investigators plan on analyzing recordings from the black boxes.
Jet’s last data recordings showed an altitude of 475 ft and a speed of 210 mph prior to the impact.
Maintenance Background
Per FAA documents dated 18 September, a fissure on a component inside the tank area required maintenance.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which said it offers airframe maintenance for the carrier’s MD-11 and operates a repair facility in San Antonio, declined to provide remarks, but expressed it would work closely when relevant authorities contacted it.
Activities Restart
In the meantime, UPS Worldport services continued that evening with its overnight also known as nighttime procedure, spokesperson Jim Mayer confirmed. The three landing strips at the airport were also reopened.
The distribution hub in this location is the organization’s most significant. The center employs more than twenty thousand workers in the region, processes 300 trips each day and organizes over a huge volume of packages each hour.
Local Support
A candlelight vigil was organized on the night of 6 November by the local labor union, which represents employees at the Louisville airport, the company’s biggest shipping facility.
Teamsters Local 89, which supports UPS workers, commenced the vigil with a period of reflection at that time, the rough hour of the incident before.
“This tragedy was so sudden, so unforeseen,” the official told the assembly of 200. “No one had a moment to part to each of those who we have said farewell to.”
