Six 'Service Difficulty' Incidents Had Been Reported In The Past

The A300 being flown as UPS Flight 1354 had experienced previous issues affecting its airworthiness, according to the FAA.

A story in the Louisville Courier-Journal relayed by AL.com reports that six "service difficulty" incidents had been reported on the airplane, two of which led to pilots declaring emergencies in flight. Those incidents included issues with the airplane's onboard computers, which had been replaced. The plane had also been cited for problems with brake systems, and a trailing-edge flap system. Airbus said that the plane was delivered to UPS in 2003, and it had accumulated about 11,000 hours, according to the paper.

Television station WSMV in Nashville, TN reports that one of the pilots was Shanda Fanning of Lynchburg, TN. WAFF in Huntington, AL said the second pilot was Cerea Beal Jr. from Matthews, NC.

NTSB Member Robert Sumwalt said in a media briefing Wednesday that preliminary information does not indicate that there was any "distress call" from the pilot of the airplane.  Radio station WDRB in Louisville, KY reports that the NTSB recovered the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the wreckage Thursday afternoon. Getting to the devices was delayed because the tail section of the airplane where they were located was still smoldering from the post-impact fire as late as Wednesday.

In another development, AL.com reports that former NTSB member Jim Hall said in an interview with Al-Jazeera America that the FAA should go back and review its policy of exempting cargo pilots from its fatigue rules passed in 2011.

(NTSB Photo)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov