One of the reporters at the press conference asked that question and the NTSB person said she did not know and would find out and let the reporter know at the next briefing.
It was so cold yesterday - I doubt they would have let pets on the plane in any cargo area. I guess it's possible someone had one as a carry-on in the plane. I keep hearing the only serious incident was someone with 2 broken legs.
We were just talking about this yesterday at the office. After it was clear that all the people were safe, that's where my brain jumped, too. So glad to hear that no animals were aboard. My good friend's sister & her fiance were on the flight and are sharing some pretty amazing experiences (both good & bad). Just glad everyone escaped alive. That pilot is a hero.
As bad as this sounds...when I was watching this on the news, I thought the same thing! How awful would
it be to not be able to get to your pet! Wonder if they have access to the cargo from inside the plane?