The total count of fatalities resulting from the transport jet that burst into flames and plummeted has reached 13, as confirmed by official statements.
Mayor's Statement
Traveling to the Teamsters’ candlelight gathering, I received word of a 13th person that lost their life as a consequence of the UPS flight 2976 crash,” wrote the local official in a public communication. “My prayers is with the relatives, associates and peers of all who were taken in this week’s disaster. We will endure this collectively.”
Victims Identified
An announcement from the carrier listed the pilots aboard the jet as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our sympathies are extended to every UPSer who has been affected and all in our community region – assisting you and making sure you obtain the care and resources you need is our priority,” the company’s statement stated.
Inquiry Details
National authorities revealed that the UPS cargo plane’s port side wing burst into flames and an motor detached soon after takeoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, resulting in the plane to plummet and erupt into a fireball.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is examining the aircraft’s maintenance history, that was in Texas for maintenance several weeks prior to the incident.
Flight tracking records indicated the aircraft was on the runway in San Antonio, Texas from the start of last month to last week.
“We are aware that this jet was present in that city,” remarked an NTSB member on Thursday, without a specific time frame. “We will examine every piece of service that was performed, even the San Antonio visit, straight to the day of the flight.”
Findings of Critical Components
The pilot’s recorder and data recorder were recovered, and the engine was discovered on the airfield.
The devices – known as black boxes – were designed to endure crash impacts and intense fire from infernos, and they seemed to be intact when found within the wreckage. Officials plan on analyzing data from the black boxes.
Aircraft’s last data recordings displayed an altitude of 475 feet and a rate of that speed before the impact.
Service Background
Based on aviation authority files dated last month, a fracture on a structural piece inside the center wing fuel tank required repairs.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which stated it supplies airframe maintenance for UPS’s jet and runs a maintenance center in that city, declined to comment, but said it would work closely when relevant authorities approached it.
Activities Resume
At the same time, UPS Worldport operations resumed Wednesday night with its Next Day Air or night sort procedure, representative Jim Mayer confirmed. All three runways at the aviation hub were additionally reopened.
The distribution hub in this location is the company’s most significant. The facility hires over a large number of workers in the locality, manages numerous trips daily and organizes over four hundred thousand packages an hour.
Public Reaction
A gathering was held on the evening of that date by the area worker’s group, which acts for workers at the airfield, the company’s largest shipping facility.
Teamsters Local 89, which represents employees, began the vigil with a period of reflection at that time, the estimated time of the crash two days earlier.
“This incident was so abrupt, so unexpected,” the mayor addressed the crowd of two hundred. “No one had a opportunity to say goodbye to any of those who we have said farewell to.”
