LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Two days after a fatal UPS plane crashThe mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, urged the public to come to a vigil on Thursday to “share our grief” while crews were still working to find or identify victims of the crash and subsequent firestorm.
“We're hopeful that we've located all the victims at this point. But again, we don't know,” Mayor Craig Greenberg said.
The inferno destroyed the huge plane and spread to nearby businesses, killing at least 12 people, including a child and three cargo carrier crew members. No one expects to find survivors of the crash at the company's UPS Worldport. global aviation hub.
The plane was cleared for takeoff on Tuesday when a large fire broke out in the left wing and the engine fell off, said Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation.
Meanwhile, UPS Worldport operations resumed Operation Next Day Air, or overnight operations, will take place Wednesday evening, company spokesman Jim Mayer said.
“Our goal is to begin to return the network to normal operations,” Mayer said.
The black box gives insight
Greenberg described the crash site as “horrible” with “charred, mangled metal.” He said part of the plane's tail appeared to be sticking out of the bunker.
“You hear people say, 'Oh, you only see this in the movies.' It was worse than in the movies,” Greenberg told reporters.
Teamsters Local 89, which represents UPS workers, planned a public vigil later in the afternoon. The mayor encouraged the public to get involved, calling it an opportunity to “share our grief” and “find the strength to continue moving forward.”
The plane's latest data recordings showed it reached an altitude of 475 feet (145 meters) and a speed of 210 mph (340 kph) before crashing near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, Inman said Thursday.
A main engine part and fragments of engine fan blades were discovered at the airfield. Inman said UPS indicated there was no maintenance work done before the flight “that could in any way delay it.” He noted that investigators will look at the video to see what was happening around the MD-11 aircraft in the previous days.
It remains to be identified
Greenberg previously said the remains of 12 people had been found, and investigators believe they include the three who were on the UPS plane. The coroner's office, the mayor added, is working to confirm the identities and determine whether the remaining nine people who remain missing are based on reports from families.
