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The number of victims due to the UPS cargo plane which ignited and went down has climbed to 13, according to recent reports.

Mayor's Remarks

“On my way to the Workers’ vigil, I was informed of a 13th person that died as a result of the UPS flight 2976 incident,” wrote the municipal leader in a social media post. “My thoughts is with the loved ones, companions and colleagues of all who were lost in this recent calamity. We will overcome this as one.”

Victims Identified

A release from the carrier listed the officers operating the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.

“Our sympathies go out to all UPSer who has been impacted and all in our Louisville community – helping you and guaranteeing you get the support and aid you need is our main concern,” the firm’s statement stated.

Investigation Updates

National investigators announced that the jet’s left wing caught fire and an power plant detached soon after liftoff from the airfield, leading to the jet to fall and explode into a fireball.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is investigating the plane’s service record, which was in the state for maintenance weeks prior to the accident.

Flight tracking data revealed the plane was on the tarmac in that location from early September to mid-October.

“We are aware that this aircraft was there in San Antonio,” remarked an investigator on later, without providing a specific time frame. “We will review each aspect of maintenance that was done, even the Texas time, all the way to the date of the journey.”

Retrieval of Vital Evidence

The pilot’s recorder and information unit were recovered, and the power plant was located on the tarmac.

The recorders – called data containers – were built to survive accident forces and severe heat from fires, and they appeared to be in one piece when located within the crash debris. Officials will analyzing recordings from the devices.

Jet’s concluding flight details showed an altitude of 475 feet and a rate of 210 mph prior to the accident.

Service History

Based on aviation authority records from that date, a fissure on a part in the tank area needed fixes.

Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which indicated it offers airframe maintenance for the carrier’s MD-11 and manages a repair facility in San Antonio, declined to comment, but expressed it would cooperate fully when officials reached out it.

Activities Resume

At the same time, the hub operations continued that evening with its Next Day Air or nighttime procedure, official a representative stated. Each of the three runways at Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport were additionally reopened.

The UPS package handling facility in Louisville is the company’s most significant. The hub hires over 20,000 workers in the area, handles numerous flights per day and organizes over 400,000 packages per hour.

Community Reaction

A gathering was organized on the late afternoon of that date by the local labor union, which acts for staff at the Louisville airport, the organization’s largest freight center.

Worker representatives, which stands for employees, began the gathering with a moment of silence at 5.14pm, the approximate moment of the crash two days earlier.

“This tragedy was so abrupt, so unexpected,” the mayor told the assembly of attendees. “No one had a moment to part to any one of those who we have mourned.”