🔗 Share this article

The tally of victims resulting from the UPS cargo plane which burst into flames and plummeted has reached 13, according to official announcements.

Official's Statement

While en route to the Teamsters’ candlelight gathering, I received word of a 13th person that passed away as a outcome of the plane accident,” expressed the municipal leader in a public communication. “My prayers are with the loved ones, companions and co-workers of all who were taken in this week’s calamity. We will endure this as one.”

Casualties Named

A statement from the carrier listed the flight crew operating the jet as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.

“Our hearts are extended to all staff member who has been affected and everyone in our community region – assisting you and guaranteeing you obtain the attention and assistance you need is our priority,” the firm’s message read.

Inquiry Details

National authorities disclosed that the freight aircraft’s left wing caught fire and an engine fell off soon after liftoff from the airfield, causing the jet to fall and burst into a fireball.

The NTSB has said it is investigating the plane’s service record, that was in Texas for fixes a period ahead of the accident.

Aviation records revealed the aircraft was on the ground in the Texas city from the start of last month to last week.

“We are knowledgeable that this jet was there in San Antonio,” stated an investigator on later, without providing a specific period. “We will examine each aspect of service that was performed, from the San Antonio time, straight to the time of the flight.”

Findings of Critical Components

The pilot’s recorder and flight data recorder were recovered, and the motor was found on the runway.

The devices – referred to as data containers – were constructed to withstand collision damage and extreme temperatures from blazes, and they appeared to be in one piece when located among the remains. Authorities will examining recordings from the black boxes.

Jet’s last flight details indicated an altitude of 475 ft and a velocity of 210 miles per hour ahead of the impact.

Repair Record

According to FAA documents dated last month, a fissure on a part inside the fuel container demanded fixes.

Singapore-based ST Engineering, which indicated it provides structural repairs for the carrier’s jet and runs a maintenance center in San Antonio, declined to comment, but expressed it would cooperate fully when investigators approached it.

Services Continue

In the meantime, the facility operations continued last night with its express or night sort process, spokesperson a representative stated. The three tarmacs at the airport were also open again.

The sorting center in this location is the organization’s biggest. The center engages more than twenty thousand individuals in the locality, handles 300 aircraft per day and processes in excess of four hundred thousand packages an hour.

Community Support

A candlelight vigil was held on the evening of that date by the local Teamsters Union, which supports staff at the airfield, the firm’s primary air cargo hub.

Teamsters Local 89, which represents employees, commenced the gathering with a quiet tribute at that time, the rough moment of the incident before.

“This tragedy was so sudden, so unforeseen,” the mayor told the crowd of two hundred. “No one had a chance to say goodbye to each of those who we have mourned.”