The number of victims resulting from the UPS cargo plane that burst into flames and plummeted has now climbed to 13, per official announcements.
Mayor's Statement
“On my way to the Workers’ candlelight gathering, I learned of a additional fatality that died as a result of the aircraft crash,” expressed the local official in a online message. “My heart are with the families, companions and peers of all who were killed in this week’s disaster. We will get through this together.”
Victims Identified
A release from the carrier named the pilots on board the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our hearts are extended to all UPSer who has been impacted and all in our local community – supporting you and guaranteeing you receive the care and assistance you need is our focus,” the organization’s statement expressed.
Investigation Details
Federal officials disclosed that the freight aircraft’s port side wing ignited and an engine fell off just after liftoff from the airfield, resulting in the aircraft to plummet and burst into a fireball.
The safety agency has said it is examining the aircraft’s maintenance history, that was in the state for maintenance several weeks before the accident.
Aircraft records indicated the aircraft was on the runway in San Antonio, Texas from early September to mid-October.
“We are aware that this plane was there in that city,” stated an NTSB member on Thursday, without a precise period. “We will review every piece of repairs that was done, even the Texas visit, all the way to the date of the journey.”
Retrieval of Key Evidence
The pilot’s recorder and information unit were retrieved, and the power plant was found on the tarmac.
The recorders – known as black boxes – were built to survive crash impacts and intense temperatures from blazes, and they looked to be in one piece when located within the wreckage. Officials will reviewing recordings from the black boxes.
Jet’s concluding data recordings showed an altitude of 475 ft and a velocity of 210 mph ahead of the crash.
Service History
Based on aviation authority files dated 18 September, a crack on a part within the fuel container needed maintenance.
The company ST Engineering, which indicated it supplies aircraft servicing for UPS’s aircraft and manages a maintenance center in that city, chose not to comment, but stated it would cooperate fully when investigators approached it.
Services Resume
Meanwhile, the hub activities resumed Wednesday night with its Next Day Air or night sort process, official the company official said. The three landing strips at the aviation hub were likewise open again.
The sorting center in the city is the firm’s most significant. The center engages more than 20,000 workers in the area, handles numerous aircraft daily and sorts in excess of 400,000 parcels an hour.
Local Response
A memorial was organized on the evening of 6 November by the local Teamsters Union, which acts for staff at the aviation hub, the company’s largest freight center.
Teamsters Local 89, which represents UPS workers, started the vigil with a moment of silence at 5.14pm, the estimated moment of the accident two days earlier.
“This event was so abrupt, so unforeseen,” the leader told the assembly of attendees. “No one had a opportunity to say goodbye to any one of those who we have lost.”
