Louisville mayor says coroner still working to identify victims of UPS plane crash

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said crews are still working to identify victims from the UPS cargo plane crash earlier this week.

The bodies of the victims have been removed from the wreckage site by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office, and officials are working to positively identify each of the victims. The mayor said Thursday morning that crews have located six of 15 people reported missing after the crash, but the mangled wreckage in the area of the crash has made the search more difficult.

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, 13 people had died from the crash.

"The number of missing that we have tracked through our Family Assistance Center — that LMPD has been operating since right after the crash — is down to nine," Greenberg said. "We may have located all of the victims. There may be more that have not yet been reported. So I would ask if there are families that are still out there are that wondering about someone who may be missing, please call immediately. Please call 800-631-0604."

The three pilots of the flight were identified by UPS on Thursday.

The site is now under the control and supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board. The agency has sent the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder ("black box") to its lab in Washington, according to Todd Inman. It's expected to take several days to analyze, and Inman said the audio will not be released to the public out of respect to the family of the crew.

NTSB officials again reminded the public not to touch debris from the crash and released a new email address to notify officials when debris is spotted. Please report debris at this email: witness@ntsb.gov or use the online debris form at https://t.co/FjzSkwCt2w

Just before 6 p.m. Thursday, the airport said the West Runway where the crash happened is back in service, meaning all three runways at the airport are available for use and the airfield is fully operational to aircraft.

"The SDF team continues to keep the victims, their families and our community in our hearts following this tragic incident," Dan Mann, executive director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, said in a statement. "I sincerely appreciate the SDF Public Safety Department for their quick response as this first units to the scene as well as the actions of so many mutual aid agencies from the city and across the state during this time."

IMAGES | UPS plane explosion sparks massive plume of smoke across Louisville area

Search Efforts Continue

Greenberg said the search for other possible victims and those missing will continue.

"Teams will be out there searching through the debris now in what's called a 'delayering' search in coordination with the NTSB and their investigation about the crash," Greenberg said. "There will also be individuals who will be looking underneath. There's so much debris there.

"There's so much charred, mangle metal that not all of the bodies may have been located until you look underneath certain things."

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, built in 1991, went down around 5:15 p.m. Nov. 4 after its left wing caught fire. UPS Flight 2976 was fully loaded with fuel for the nine-hour flight to Honolulu from UPS Worldport.

The NTSB will look into the full maintenance history of the UPS plane as well as the engines and other components. UPS previously told the agency that the flight was not delayed and that no maintenance was performed right before it took off.

Flight records suggest the 34-year-old plane underwent maintenance while it was on the ground in San Antonio for more than a month, from September through mid-October. The AP reported it wasn't clear what work was done. But according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the plane needed a critical fuel tank repair.

The report cited FAA maintenance records that show the jet needed a permanent repair to fix a crack in the fuel tank before it returned to service. WDRB is working to independently obtain those maintenance records from the FAA.

State of emergency and disaster relief fund

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency to help deal with the impact of the plane crash, allowing the state to allocate resources more quickly to cover expenses and reimbursements for short-term help.

Beshear also said he is reactivating the Team Kentucky Emergency Relief Fund like the one in place for previous disasters, including floods and tornadoes.

"The fund will allow families impacted by the disaster to benefit from the generosity of others," Beshear said. He noted that the first thing the fund pays for is funerals. "In Kentucky, we grieve together. We support each other."

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Support and mental health

In a statement around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Louisville Metro Police said the Family Assistance Center/victim reunification center was moved from the LMPD Training Facility, where it was set up Tuesday night following the crash. Police said the new location won't be disclosed to respect the privacy of those receiving help.

"The center has provided vital care and information to those dealing with this tragedy. Several agencies are working together to provide resources, including the American Red Cross, LMPD's Victim Services Unit, chaplains, and mental health professionals from Seven Counties Services," LMPD said in its statement. "These services will remain available at the new location, ensuring ongoing support for families and individuals in need."

Anyone needing assistance can call 800-631-0604 for information.

And anyone who's experiencing a mental health emergency or needs someone to talk to about this tragic event, you're asked to call 988. That's a national number that can get you mental health professional assistance for grieving or any other pain you may be dealing with.

You can also contact Louisville's Office of Violence Prevention who has mental health professionals. That phone number is 502-574-6949.

Mental health professionals also add it may be good to stay off social media if you're struggling with the impact of this tragic event.

"We strongly encourage you to sort of give yourself breaks and times away from watching those images over and over again," said Geneva Robinson, 988 crisis program director. "You know, get outside. Connect with people you care about. Make a phone call to someone in your life. Just make sure that you remind yourself that there are other things in your life that can bring you support and help you deal with those feelings of anxiety and stress that we're experiencing."

Thursday Night Vigil

A prayer vigil is scheduled Thursday night at the Teamsters 89 local headquarters at Union Hall. It's set to start at 5 p.m. Local 89's chaplain will lead those gathered in prayer. Everyone in the community is invited to attend.

This story will be updated.

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IMAGES | UPS plane explosion sparks massive plume of smoke across Louisville area