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The number of fatalities from the transport jet which caught fire and plummeted has now reached 13, per official announcements.

Mayor's Remarks

While en route to the Workers’ candlelight gathering, I was informed of a additional fatality that lost their life as a consequence of the aircraft accident,” wrote the city mayor in a social media post. “My thoughts is with the loved ones, friends and peers of all who were lost in this week’s calamity. We will endure this as one.”

Deceased Identified

A statement from UPS identified the flight crew on board the jet as Pilot Richard Wartenberg, Co-pilot Lee Truitt, and International Relief Officer Dana Diamond.

“Our thoughts go out to each UPSer who has been impacted and all in our local region – helping you and guaranteeing you get the support and resources you need is our main concern,” the company’s statement expressed.

Inquiry Details

National investigators revealed that the freight aircraft’s left wing caught fire and an engine separated soon after departure from the airfield, causing the jet to crash and erupt into a blaze.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said it is probing the plane’s maintenance history, that was in Texas for repairs weeks prior to the crash.

Aviation information revealed the jet was on the tarmac in San Antonio, Texas from 3 September to 18 October.

“We are cognizant that this jet was present in San Antonio,” stated an official on the following day, without providing a exact period. “We will examine every piece of repairs that was done, from the San Antonio visit, right up to the day of the journey.”

Findings of Critical Items

The pilot’s recorder and information unit were found, and the power plant was found on the tarmac.

The devices – referred to as flight recorders – were constructed to survive collision damage and extreme heat from infernos, and they seemed to be intact when found amid the wreckage. Officials plan on reviewing recordings from the recorders.

Aircraft’s last flight details showed an elevation of 475 feet and a velocity of 210 mph before the impact.

Service Record

Per aviation authority files dated 18 September, a crack on a part within the fuel container required maintenance.

Singapore-based ST Engineering, which stated it offers airframe maintenance for UPS’s jet and manages a service location in San Antonio, declined to speak, but said it would cooperate fully when relevant authorities reached out it.

Services Restart

At the same time, UPS Worldport activities restarted Wednesday night with its express or nighttime operation, representative a representative said. All three runways at the aviation hub were also back in operation.

The UPS package handling facility in the city is the organization’s most significant. The facility engages over 20,000 workers in the locality, handles 300 aircraft each day and organizes over a huge volume of parcels per hour.

Local Reaction

A candlelight vigil was held on the night of that date by the area labor union, which represents workers at the airfield, the organization’s biggest shipping facility.

The union chapter, which supports UPS workers, began the memorial with a quiet tribute at the evening hour, the rough time of the incident previously.

“This incident was so abrupt, so surprising,” the leader addressed the crowd of 200. “No one had a moment to say goodbye to each of those who we have mourned.”