The total count of victims resulting from the transport jet which ignited and crashed has risen to 13, per official reports.
Mayor's Statement
Traveling to the Teamsters’ memorial service, I learned of a 13th person that died as a result of the aircraft incident,” stated the city mayor in a online message. “My heart are with the loved ones, associates and peers of all who were killed in this recent calamity. We will overcome this collectively.”
Deceased Identified
An announcement from the company named the officers on board the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our sympathies reach out to all UPSer who has been affected and all in our community region – supporting you and making sure you obtain the attention and aid you need is our priority,” the company’s message expressed.
Investigation Findings
Federal authorities revealed that the jet’s port side wing ignited and an power plant detached just after departure from the aviation hub, resulting in the plane to plummet and explode into a inferno.
The NTSB stated it is examining the jet’s service record, that was in Texas for maintenance a period prior to the incident.
Flight tracking records showed the plane was on the tarmac in that location from the start of last month to mid-October.
“We are knowledgeable that this aircraft was located in the facility,” said an NTSB member on the following day, not giving a precise time frame. “We will look at each aspect of repairs that was performed, from the San Antonio visit, straight to the day of the flight.”
Recovery of Critical Evidence
The pilot’s recorder and flight data recorder were retrieved, and the motor was found on the runway.
The recorders – known as data containers – were built to withstand accident forces and severe heat from fires, and they seemed to be in one piece when found within the wreckage. Authorities will examining data from the recorders.
The plane’s final flight details indicated an height of 475 feet and a velocity of 210 mph before the crash.
Service Record
Per aviation authority records from that date, a fissure on a component inside the tank area required fixes.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which indicated it supplies structural repairs for UPS’s jet and manages a maintenance center in that city, declined to speak, but said it would cooperate fully when officials contacted it.
Services Continue
At the same time, UPS Worldport operations continued last night with its overnight or night sort process, official Jim Mayer said. The three landing strips at the aviation hub were also reopened.
The distribution hub in this location is the company’s largest. The center engages over a large number of people in the region, processes three hundred flights daily and organizes more than 400,000 packages each hour.
Community Response
A gathering was held on the evening of recently by the regional Teamsters Union, which represents staff at the Louisville airport, the company’s primary freight center.
Teamsters Local 89, which represents staff, commenced the memorial with a period of reflection at that time, the rough time of the accident previously.
“This tragedy was so unexpected, so surprising,” the official spoke to the group of attendees. “No one had a opportunity to part to any of those who we have lost.”
