The total count of victims from the transport jet that caught fire and plummeted has reached 13, per latest reports.
City Leader's Remarks
Traveling to the Workers’ memorial service, I was informed of a thirteenth victim that passed away as a outcome of the UPS flight 2976 accident,” expressed the local official in a social media post. “My heart are with the relatives, friends and colleagues of all who were taken in this recently occurred tragedy. We will overcome this together.”
Victims Identified
A statement from the carrier listed the flight crew on board the jet as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.
“Our thoughts go out to all staff member who has been impacted and everyone in our community area – helping you and guaranteeing you get the support and resources you need is our priority,” the company’s communication read.
Investigation Details
Federal authorities announced that the UPS cargo plane’s port side wing ignited and an engine detached shortly after departure from the airfield, causing the plane to plummet and burst into a blaze.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is examining the aircraft’s maintenance history, which was in the state for maintenance several weeks prior to the crash.
Aircraft information revealed the aircraft was on the ground in San Antonio, Texas from the start of last month to mid-October.
“We are knowledgeable that this plane was present in San Antonio,” stated an investigator on later, not giving a specific date range. “We will review each aspect of maintenance that was done, from the repair period, all the way to the time of the flight.”
Recovery of Key Evidence
The cockpit voice recorder and information unit were retrieved, and the power plant was discovered on the tarmac.
The units – referred to as data containers – were built to withstand collision damage and intense temperatures from fires, and they seemed to be intact when discovered within the crash debris. Investigators will reviewing information from the devices.
The plane’s concluding flight details displayed an altitude of 475 feet and a speed of 210 mph prior to the crash.
Maintenance History
Per FAA documents from last month, a fracture on a structural piece within the center wing fuel tank required repairs.
Headquartered in Singapore ST Engineering, which indicated it offers airframe maintenance for UPS’s aircraft and runs a maintenance center in San Antonio, declined to comment, but said it would cooperate fully when relevant authorities contacted it.
Services Continue
Meanwhile, the facility activities continued that evening with its express also known as nighttime process, official a representative stated. Each of the three tarmacs at the aviation hub were also back in operation.
The sorting center in this location is the organization’s biggest. The facility hires over twenty thousand people in the region, handles three hundred flights per day and organizes more than a huge volume of parcels each hour.
Community Support
A gathering was conducted on the late afternoon of 6 November by the local worker’s group, which acts for workers at the airfield, the organization’s largest freight center.
Teamsters Local 89, which supports staff, started the vigil with a period of reflection at that time, the approximate time of the incident before.
“This incident was so unexpected, so unexpected,” the official told the crowd of attendees. “No one had a chance to part to each of those who we have lost.”