The total count of victims due to the UPS cargo plane that burst into flames and crashed has reached 13, as confirmed by official statements.
City Leader's Statement
“On my way to the Union’s memorial service, I received word of a additional fatality that lost their life as a result of the UPS flight 2976 accident,” stated the city mayor in a social media post. “My heart is with the loved ones, associates and co-workers of all who were lost in this recent tragedy. We will endure this as one.”
Casualties Confirmed
A statement from the carrier named the flight crew aboard the jet as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts are extended to every employee who has been touched and everyone in our local region – assisting you and ensuring you get the attention and resources you need is our priority,” the company’s communication read.
Probe Findings
Government authorities revealed that the freight aircraft’s wing burst into flames and an engine separated just after takeoff from the airfield, leading to the aircraft to fall and explode into a inferno.
The safety agency has said it is investigating the aircraft’s upkeep logs, that was in Texas for maintenance a period before the incident.
Aircraft information showed the jet was on the tarmac in San Antonio, Texas from early September to last week.
“We are cognizant that this plane was present in the facility,” stated an NTSB member on Thursday, without providing a specific date range. “We will review each aspect of maintenance that was completed, including the San Antonio period, right up to the day of the trip.”
Recovery of Critical Items
The audio device and information unit were found, and the engine was discovered on the airfield.
The units – referred to as flight recorders – were constructed to endure crash impacts and extreme heat from infernos, and they seemed to be intact when found among the remains. Investigators plan on reviewing recordings from the black boxes.
Aircraft’s final data recordings displayed an elevation of 475 feet and a speed of 210 mph before the impact.
Repair History
Based on FAA records dated 18 September, a fissure on a part in the fuel container required fixes.
Singapore-based ST Engineering, which indicated it offers structural repairs for UPS’s jet and manages a service location in San Antonio, declined to provide remarks, but said it would cooperate fully when investigators reached out it.
Operations Resume
In the meantime, the hub activities restarted Wednesday night with its overnight or nighttime process, spokesperson Jim Mayer confirmed. Each of the three tarmacs at the aviation hub were also open again.
The sorting center in this location is the firm’s most significant. The hub engages more than twenty thousand individuals in the region, handles 300 flights per day and organizes in excess of four hundred thousand items per hour.
Local Reaction
A memorial was held on the late afternoon of recently by the area labor union, which supports employees at the airfield, the firm’s largest shipping facility.
The union chapter, which stands for staff, commenced the vigil with a quiet tribute at that time, the estimated moment of the accident previously.
“This incident was so unexpected, so unforeseen,” the mayor addressed the crowd of two hundred. “No one had a moment to part to any one of those who we have mourned.”
