NTSB report: Amtrak engineer missed speed-limit signs before train crashed south of Tacoma

[thackney]

NTSB report: Amtrak engineer missed speed-limit signs before train crashed south of Tacoma
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/ntsb-report-amtrak-engineer-missed-speed-limit-sign-before-the-train-crashed-on-a-curve-south-of-tacoma/
January 25, 2018

The engineer on the Amtrak train that derailed south of Tacoma in December, killing three people and injuring dozens, said he didn’t see or didn’t recognize the signposts and signals indicating a drastic drop in the speed limit, a new report from federal investigators says.

It was only the engineer’s second time driving a train in that direction on a newly opened stretch of track, known as the Point Defiance Bypass.

he National Transportation Safety Board interviewed the 55-year-old engineer last week, about a month after the deadly crash. Both the engineer and a qualifying conductor, who was in the locomotive to familiarize himself with the new track, suffered serious injuries, which delayed their interviews, the NTSB said.

The train was going nearly 80 mph when it derailed on a curve where the speed limit was 30 mph. It crashed onto Interstate 5, on Dec. 18, closing the southbound highway for most of three days, wreaking traffic havoc across the region.

The train, which was on its inaugural run on the Point Defiance Bypass, was carrying 83 passengers and crew members; three passengers were killed and 62 people were injured.

The three men killed were all railroad enthusiasts who wanted to be on board for the first run on the route.

In the five weeks before the crash, the engineer, whose name hasn’t been released, had completed seven to 10 “observational trips” in a locomotive on the new stretch of track, the NTSB said. He had also completed three trips in which he was operating the locomotive....

[edpc]

Not seeing signs will happen when you're going real fast.  Has he never heard a Grateful Dead song?

[thackney]

@Fishrrman

Point Defiance Bypass, Dec 18 train wreck ping

[thackney]

 NTSB Issues Investigative Update on Washington State Amtrak Derailment
https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/mr20180125.aspx
1/25/2018

As part of its ongoing investigation into the Dec. 18, 2017, derailment of an Amtrak passenger train in DuPont, Washington, the National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday an update about the agency’s investigation.

NTSB investigators interviewed the engineer and the qualifying conductor, who were in the lead locomotive during the accident trip.  Both suffered serious injuries as a result of the derailment and were not able to be interviewed until the week of Jan. 15, 2018. The following information is among that provided by the engineer and qualifying conductor during interviews with NTSB investigators:

The engineer, a 55-year-old male, was hired by Amtrak in 2004 as a conductor and then promoted to locomotive engineer in 2013.

In the five weeks preceding the derailment, the engineer had qualified on the Point Defiance Bypass section of track following the completion of seven to 10 observational trips in the locomotive as well as three trips operating the equipment, two northbound and one southbound.

The engineer said he felt rested at the start of his shift.

The engineer recalled that as the train passed milepost 15.5 it was traveling about 79 mph.

The engineer told investigators that he was aware that the curve with the 30 mph speed restriction was at milepost 19.8, and that he had planned to initiate braking about one mile prior to the curve.

The engineer said that he saw mileposts 16 and 17 but didn’t recall seeing milepost 18 or the 30 mph advance speed sign, which was posted two miles ahead of the speed-restricted curve.

The engineer said that he did see the wayside signal at milepost 19.8 (at the accident curve) but mistook it for another signal, which was north of the curve.

He said that as soon as he saw the 30 mph sign at the start of the curve, he applied brakes.  Seconds later, the train derailed as it entered the curve.

The engineer said that he didn’t feel that having a qualifying conductor in the locomotive with him was a distraction.

The engineer also said that he would not have gotten behind the throttle if he had any reservations about his readiness to operate the train.

The qualifying conductor, a 48-year-old male, was hired by Amtrak in 2010 as an assistant conductor and was promoted to conductor in 2011.

At start of shift, he said he took part in the job briefing conducted by the conductor and the engineer. They went over general track bulletins and other items.

The qualifying conductor told investigators that he felt rested and alert at the start of his shift. He had never worked with the engineer before. He told investigators that the engineer appeared alert during the job briefing and while operating the train.

The qualifying conductor told investigators that there was minimal conversation between himself and the engineer during the trip. Instead he said he spent time looking at his paperwork to help learn the territory.

Just prior to the derailment, the qualifying conductor said he looked down at his copies of the general track bulletins. He then heard the engineer say or mumble something.  He then looked up and sensed that the train was becoming “airborne.”

 

These accounts by the crewmembers in the lead locomotive of the accident train are just two sources of information that will be considered as the investigation progresses. In the coming weeks, investigators will compare these accounts with video captured from the inward- and outward-facing locomotive cameras, information from the locomotive event data recorder and other sources.

In addition to human performance and operations, investigators are continuing to develop information in a wide range of areas, including signals and train control, track and engineering, mechanical, crashworthiness, survival factors and recorders.

The investigation is expected to last 12-24 months.

Additional information, including links to media briefings, the preliminary accident report, and other material is available on the Amtrak Cascades 501 accident page: https://go.usa.gov/xnfU6​

[WingNot]

At least he didn't sideswipe nineteen neat parked cars,
Clipp off thirteen telephone poles,
Hit two houses, bruise eight trees,
And Blue-Crossed seven people.
And then  lost his head,
Not to mention an arm or two before he stopped.
And he slid for four hundred yards....

[Frank Cannon]

Driving that train, high on cocaine, Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed. Trouble ahead, trouble behind, And you know that notion just crossed my mind.

[Fishrrman]

"In the five weeks before the crash, the engineer, whose name hasn’t been released, had completed seven to 10 “observational trips” in a locomotive on the new stretch of track, the NTSB said. He had also completed three trips in which he was operating the locomotive...."

I'm wondering if those three trips he was running were "at freight speeds"? The line was originally a freight branch before it was converted to passenger, certainly with much lower speeds (probably no higher than 30mph).
Or... did he make the three trips at passenger speeds?

I recall reading that the speed restriction warning signs were placed TWO MILES "in advance" of the actual restriction. You might notice it when you went by, but that's too early to actually put the brakes on. In the interval between where the sign was, and the location where one would "have to take action" to comply with the restriction, something might have distracted the engineer -- or he could have just gone blank on it and forgotten. Just don't know at this point.

That's a hazard with running over territory that is "new to you".
It requires a higher state of awareness as to where you are and "what comes next".

I believe this is similar to the derailment on the Corridor just north of Philadelphia some months' back. The engineer on that one was pretty new to the NYC-DC run (only had been out there a few weeks), and I believe he got distracted and "lost his place", thinking he was on track that was good for 110 when there remained a 50mph curve ahead (just before the 110mph territory began).

Unfortunate in both situations, at high cost.
One looks at wrecks like that, and thinks "that could have been me".
You just have to keep trying to do the best you can each day out there so that it isn't...

[Cyber Liberty]

At least he didn't sideswipe nineteen neat parked cars,
Clipp off thirteen telephone poles,
Hit two houses, bruise eight trees,
And Blue-Crossed seven people.
And then  lost his head,
Not to mention an arm or two before he stopped.
And he slid for four hundred yards....

Did he ever manage to write the end of that song? 

[WingNot]

Did he ever manage to write the end of that song?

Two or three endings IIRC.

[Cyber Liberty]

Two or three endings IIRC.

"It sure mushta been somethin..."