USA TODAY National
(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)
Three days after a UPS cargo plane crashed and erupted into a deadly ball of fire in an industrial part of Louisville, Kentucky, investigators are piecing together evidence in a slow search for answers.
The death toll rose to 14 on Nov. 7 after Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said another victim had been found at the crash site. Among the dead are believed to be the three crew members on the UPS plane and a still unknown number on the ground. More are expected to be found dead as a search of the wreckage continues.
"May their memories be a blessing," Greenberg posted on X late Friday.
The UPS plane crashed at about 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 4, shortly after it took off for Honolulu from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. A large plume of fire erupted around the plane's left wing and one of its three engines detached as the aircraft rolled down the runway, according to Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
At a news conference on Nov. 7, Inman said the area of the crash site remained an "active debris field," and that small fires and smoke have still been observed in the area on Friday.
Here's what we know about the UPS plane crash:
'Repeating bell' sounded before crash of UPS plane, NTSB confirms
During the Nov. 7 news conference, the National Transportation Safety Board provided more details into what occurred before the crash.
NTSB Member Todd Inman said the cockpit voice recorder, a part of the black box, contained two hours and four minutes of what the agency considers “good quality digital recorded audio.”
In its review of the audio, the agency found that the takeoff roll was “uneventful through the different speed callouts,” Inman said.
“About 37 seconds after the crew called for takeoff thrust, a repeating bell was heard on the (cockpit voice recorder), which persisted until the end of the recording 25 seconds later,” Inman said. “During this time, the crew engaged in efforts to attempt to control the aircraft before the crash.”
Inman said there are “numerous different types of alarms” that could have produced the bell sound. Investigators have a “working theory” but need to validate it with information from the flight data recorder and video evidence.
“I don’t want to speculate on that too far,” he said.
The agency also found that the bulk of the left engine pylon was still attached to the left engine when it detached from the wing. Both pieces are in a secure facility for further examination.
– Caroline Neal, the Louisville Courier Journal
Round of lawsuits filed over UPS plane crash
Law firms have announced intentions to file a first round of lawsuits after the Nov. 4 crash.
Morgan & Morgan announced on Nov. 7 it had begun a lawsuit on behalf of people who lived, worked or owned property within 5 miles of the UPS Worldport facility. It names three plaintiffs: Shakeara Ware, who lives nearby; Triple D Inc., which owns a destroyed auto repair shop; and ENSEY LLC, which owns property in the path of the wreckage.
The suit against UPS, Boeing and General Electric alleges negligence and infliction of emotional distress among other claims. It seeks an unspecified monetary amount in damages and a jury trial. The plane crash "acted like a bomb" and filled properties with soot and debris and caused the plaintiffs to suffer injury, loss of property or discomfort, the suit said.
"This tragedy has needlessly shattered the lives of many in the Louisville community. Our clients and others began their day like any other, and they are now left grappling with how and why this catastrophe could have happened," Morgan & Morgan attorneys Mike Morgan, Rene Rocha and Tanner Shultz said in a statement. "We are committed to uncovering the truth and will stop at nothing to achieve justice."
The defendants didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from USA TODAY on Nov. 7.
The firms Whiteford Taylor & Preston and Peterson Law announced they are also representing "several Kentucky families of the injured and deceased including Grade A Recycling, and its employees" and intend to file a suit against UPS and others.
Family loses small business in crash
Denis and Arnela Kustric built a life in Louisville once before. Now, they're not sure how they're going to do it again.
The Kustric trucking business was just two weeks in operation when a plane, falling from the sky, obliterated their semi-trailer truck. They had filed their business, Kustric Company LLC, with the state last July, and recently began parking their new semi on Grade Lane.
On Nov. 4, Denis was in Nashville, waiting to haul a load; when it was delayed, he decided to drive back to Louisville empty instead. He parked his truck on Grade Lane where he rented a spot and went home. It was almost 5 p.m.
Arnela had just set the coffee in front of Denis when the parking lot owner called: "Hey did you see the picture?"
"I'll look at it later," he said, hungry and tired, aware he was ignoring a text on his phone.
"I'm sorry Denis, but there's been a big accident," the parking lot owner said. "Your trailer and truck and everything is on fire."
The UPS cargo plane had crashed on Grade Lane at roughly 5:15 p.m.
"We’re thankful he’s alive and came home," Arnela told The Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Nov. 6. "Everything we built the last three years – to build this private business for him to be on his own and work his own company – everything went to ashes in one minute."
‒ Stephanie Kuzydym, the Louisville Courier Journal
Who are the victims? Crew members on UPS flight identified
UPS identified the three crew members who were on board the cargo plane. According to Nando Cesarone, Executive Vice President and President US at UPS, the pilots on board were Captain Richard Wartenberg, First Officer Lee Truitt and International Relief Officer Captain Dana Diamond.
"Words can’t express the sorrow we feel over the heartbreaking Flight 2976 accident," Cesarone said in the statement. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of our colleagues, and to the loved ones of those in the Louisville community."
What caused the crash? What we know so far
So far, officials have confirmed the plane was an outbound MD-11, en route to Hawaii with a full tank of fuel. The left engine detached from the wing during takeoff, and the plane crashed moments after departure, colliding with structures in the neighboring industrial area to the south of the airport. Some fuel storage tanks on the ground ruptured, and crews worked late into the night containing the fire, which spanned half-a-mile.
At the time of the crash, the plane was flying at about 211 miles per hour, Inman said. On Nov. 7, the NTSB clarified previously reported data about the plane's altitude, saying the plane was about 100 ft above ground level.
Investigators recovered the plane's so-called "black boxes," and will release a transcript of audio and prepare a timeline of the crash, but Inman warned the process of going through the data would be "laborious."
Based on past NTSB investigations, it could be a year or longer before the agency's complete findings are made public. The agency will likely release a report with preliminary findings within the next month.
- Connor Giffin, Olivia Evans and Josh Wood, the Louisville Courier Journal
Drone footage shows UPS plane crash site
On Nov. 7, the NTSB released an aerial view of the site of the UPS plane crash and footage of investigators mapping out the wreckage.
The footage from drone cameras shows a large area of industrial Louisville charred and blackened from smoke and fire damage. Burned-out cars, debris from buildings and mangled wreckage can be seen.
The area where the plane crashed and burned spanned half a mile.
NTSB probing maintenance history of UPS cargo plane
The NTSB said on Nov. 6 that it is looking into the maintenance history of the plane involved in the crash. Before the incident, investigators said the aircraft had been in Texas for repairs.
Flight tracking data showed the plane was on the ground in San Antonio, Texas, from Sept. 3 to Oct. 18, Reuters reported. According to Federal Aviation Administration records dated Sept. 18, a crack on a structural piece inside the center wing fuel tank required repairs.
"We will look at every piece of maintenance that was done, even from the San Antonio time, all the way to the date of the flight," Inman said.
There is currently no evidence that poor maintenance caused the crash, according to investigators. Inman said the NTSB had no immediate safety concerns about the broader MD-11 program owned by Boeing.
'Most people know somebody at UPS'
Louisville is the headquarters for UPS Airlines and home to UPS Worldport, the company's largest shipping and logistics facility globally. UPS is the largest employer in Kentucky, with more than 26,000 employees, and subsequently, a lot of UPS pilots call Louisville home.
"That really makes it all the more heartfelt moment, because there's so many people that live in the community here that may know our crew," said Bob Travis, a former MD-11 captain at UPS and the president of the Independent Pilots Association that represents thousands of UPS pilots. "Most people know somebody that works at UPS, a high likelihood they may know a pilot that flies for us."
Travis knows he'll attend funerals with union members, and he'll sit through the lengthy process of the NTSB crash investigation.
- Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal
Contributing: Thao Nguyen and Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY; The Louisville Courier Journal; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UPS plane crash death toll rises to 14; others still missing. Updates.
Reporting by Jeanine Santucci and Doyle Rice, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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