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The number of victims from the freight aircraft that caught fire and went down has now risen to 13, per official announcements.

Mayor's Statement

Traveling to the Workers’ candlelight gathering, I received word of a thirteenth victim that passed away as a outcome of the aircraft incident,” expressed the city mayor in a online message. “My heart are with the loved ones, associates and co-workers of all who were taken in this week’s tragedy. We will overcome this as one.”

Deceased Identified

A release from the company listed the officers aboard the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 as Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt, and Relief Captain Dana Diamond.

“Our thoughts go out to every employee who has been impacted and everyone in our community region – helping you and ensuring you obtain the attention and resources you need is our focus,” the firm’s communication expressed.

Probe Details

National investigators revealed that the freight aircraft’s left wing caught fire and an engine separated shortly after departure from the Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport, leading to the plane to plummet and erupt into a fireball.

The safety agency stated it is investigating the jet’s upkeep logs, that was in Texas for fixes a period ahead of the crash.

Flight tracking records indicated the plane was on the tarmac in the Texas city from 3 September to 18 October.

“We are knowledgeable that this plane was located in that city,” remarked an official on the following day, without a specific period. “We will review every piece of maintenance that was done, from the San Antonio visit, straight to the day of the flight.”

Retrieval of Critical Components

The cockpit voice recorder and information unit were recovered, and the power plant was discovered on the runway.

The recorders – called black boxes – were designed to survive accident forces and extreme fire from fires, and they looked to be in one piece when located amid the wreckage. Officials plan on reviewing recordings from the black boxes.

The plane’s final recorded information displayed an elevation of that level and a speed of 210 miles per hour before the impact.

Repair History

Per aviation authority files from 18 September, a fissure on a part inside the fuel container required repairs.

The company ST Engineering, which indicated it supplies airframe maintenance for UPS’s MD-11 and manages a maintenance center in Texas, refused to speak, but expressed it would cooperate fully when officials contacted it.

Activities Resume

In the meantime, the facility services resumed Wednesday night with its express or night sort process, spokesperson Jim Mayer said. The three landing strips at Louisville Muhammad Ali international airport were likewise back in operation.

The UPS package handling facility in Louisville is the organization’s biggest. The hub hires in excess of 20,000 individuals in the locality, processes numerous trips daily and processes over a huge volume of packages each hour.

Community Reaction

A gathering was conducted on the night of 6 November by the area worker’s group, which acts for staff at the Louisville airport, the firm’s biggest freight center.

Worker representatives, which represents staff, commenced the vigil with a quiet tribute at 5.14pm, the estimated hour of the accident before.

“This tragedy was so abrupt, so unexpected,” the leader spoke to the assembly of attendees. “No one had a chance to part to any one of those who we have lost.”