The number of fatalities from the freight aircraft that ignited and went down has reached 13, per official statements.
City Leader's Remarks
Traveling to the Teamsters’ candlelight gathering, I received word of a thirteenth victim that lost their life as a consequence of the UPS flight 2976 incident,” wrote the city mayor in a social media post. “My heart are with the loved ones, associates and peers of all who were taken in this week’s tragedy. We will endure this together.”
Victims Identified
A statement from UPS identified the pilots on board the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our hearts go out to each staff member who has been impacted and all in our community community – supporting you and ensuring you get the attention and assistance you need is our focus,” the firm’s communication read.
Investigation Details
Federal officials announced that the freight aircraft’s wing ignited and an power plant detached shortly after liftoff from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, resulting in the plane to fall and erupt into a inferno.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is examining the plane’s maintenance history, which was in the state for maintenance several weeks prior to the incident.
Aviation records showed the jet was on the runway in that location from early September to mid-October.
“We are knowledgeable that this jet was present in the facility,” said an NTSB member on Thursday, not giving a exact time frame. “We will review each aspect of repairs that was done, from the Texas period, all the way to the date of the journey.”
Findings of Vital Items
The pilot’s recorder and flight data recorder were retrieved, and the engine was discovered on the airfield.
The devices – known as data containers – were built to withstand collision damage and intense fire from blazes, and they appeared to be in one piece when discovered within the crash debris. Investigators will reviewing data from the recorders.
Jet’s last data recordings showed an altitude of 475 ft and a rate of that speed ahead of the impact.
Repair History
According to FAA documents from 18 September, a fracture on a component inside the center wing fuel tank required repairs.
Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which indicated it offers aircraft servicing for UPS’s jet and operates a service location in Texas, declined to speak, but said it would work closely when investigators reached out it.
Services Continue
At the same time, the facility activities continued last night with its Next Day Air or nighttime process, spokesperson the company official confirmed. Each of the three tarmacs at Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport were likewise back in operation.
The distribution hub in Louisville is the organization’s most significant. The center hires more than twenty thousand individuals in the region, handles 300 aircraft daily and organizes in excess of four hundred thousand items per hour.
Public Response
A candlelight vigil was held on the night of 6 November by the regional Teamsters Union, which represents workers at the aviation hub, the firm’s primary air cargo hub.
Teamsters Local 89, which represents employees, began the gathering with a period of reflection at that time, the rough moment of the accident two days earlier.
“This incident was so unexpected, so unforeseen,” the official spoke to the group of 200. “No one had a moment to say goodbye to each of those who we have said farewell to.”
