The number of victims resulting from the transport jet that caught fire and plummeted has risen to 13, as confirmed by recent statements.
City Leader's Announcement
While en route to the Teamsters’ memorial service, I received word of a thirteenth victim that passed away as a result of the UPS flight 2976 incident,” stated the municipal leader in a social media post. “My thoughts is with the families, friends and peers of all who were taken in this recently occurred disaster. We will get through this together.”
Deceased Named
A statement from the company listed the flight crew aboard the aircraft as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts reach out to every staff member who has been impacted and all in our local area – assisting you and making sure you obtain the care and assistance you need is our focus,” the company’s statement expressed.
Investigation Updates
National authorities revealed that the jet’s wing burst into flames and an engine fell off just after liftoff from the aviation hub, leading to the aircraft to plummet and explode into a inferno.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is examining the aircraft’s upkeep logs, which was in Texas for fixes a period prior to the incident.
Aviation data revealed the plane was on the ground in that location from the start of last month to last week.
“We are knowledgeable that this aircraft was present in the facility,” said an investigator on later, without a specific date range. “We will review each aspect of service that was done, even the Texas time, all the way to the time of the journey.”
Retrieval of Critical Components
The audio device and flight data recorder were retrieved, and the power plant was found on the tarmac.
The units – known as flight recorders – were constructed to survive crash impacts and severe temperatures from fires, and they looked to be in one piece when located within the wreckage. Officials plan on reviewing information from the black boxes.
Aircraft’s concluding flight details indicated an height of 475 feet and a speed of 210 mph before the crash.
Maintenance Background
Based on Federal Aviation Administration files dated last month, a crack on a component in the center wing fuel tank demanded maintenance.
The company ST Engineering, which stated it offers aircraft servicing for the carrier’s aircraft and manages a repair facility in Texas, refused to comment, but stated it would cooperate fully when officials approached it.
Operations Resume
Meanwhile, UPS Worldport services continued that evening with its express or evening operation, official Jim Mayer stated. Each of the three landing strips at the airport were additionally reopened.
The UPS package handling facility in the city is the firm’s biggest. The center employs over twenty thousand individuals in the area, handles three hundred aircraft per day and processes over 400,000 items each hour.
Local Support
A memorial was organized on the late afternoon of 6 November by the regional labor union, which supports staff at the airfield, the company’s primary air cargo hub.
The union chapter, which represents staff, started the vigil with a moment of silence at 5.14pm, the approximate time of the incident before.
“This event was so abrupt, so unexpected,” the official addressed the assembly of two hundred. “No one had a moment to say goodbye to any of those who we have mourned.”
