Posted on 12/02/2013 2:36:45 PM PST by jazusamo
YONKERS, N.Y. (AP) — A commuter train that derailed over the weekend, killing four passengers, was hurtling at 82 mph as it entered a 30 mph curve, a federal investigator said Monday. But whether the wreck was the result of human error or brake trouble was still unclear, he said.
Asked why the train was going so fast, National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said: "That's the question we need to answer."
Weener said the information on the locomotive's speed was preliminary and extracted from the Metro-North train's two data recorders, taken from the wreckage after the Sunday morning accident in the Bronx.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.com ...
Did they have to send divers down to recover the
black boxes?
The speed limit was only 70 on the stretch before the curve.
... on the cell phone AGAIN .....
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
If it wasn’t some kind of mechanical malfunction that engineer is in a world of hurt, it’s amazing to me more weren’t killed.
All I’ve heard is someone mentioned the driver hit the brakes but nothing happened. Could be true or not. Don’t know.
The locomotive’s brakes were not fully engaged until five seconds before the crash, said Earl Weener of the National Transportation Safety Board.
That was “very late in the game,” said Earl Weener of the National Transportation Safety Board.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/metro-north-derailment-data-recorder-found-article-1.1534730
Sounds like something went wrong with the Engineer. Either distracted by something, or who knows what?
That curve would be very hard to miss, since you come into it in a place by the river that really can’t be mistaken. It would certainly be a lousy spot to be on a cell phone or whatever.
When I commuted to New York in my last years at work, I came in along that track. And we always took that bit very slow—well before reaching the curve.
They said today there was nothing wrong with the brakes.
Look, it may have been faulty brakes, or the driver may have fallen asleep, or he may have been texting someone, but for now we have four dead Americans and at this point, what difference does it make?
Exactly what I said as soon as I heard about the accident. Guy was going too fast for the terrain. RIP, poor victims.
“The safety board said that interviews with the engineer, identified as William Rockefeller, began on Monday but had not been completed. Drug and alcohol tests had been conducted, though Mr. Weener said the results were not yet available. Mr. Rockefeller’s cellphone has also been recovered, Mr. Weener said.”
None of the cars ended up in the water. The lead car came close.
Unfortunately, I would guess the conductor fell asleep. Early Sunday morning after big weekend. Probably never saw it coming.
Hopefully, (for his sake) it was mechanical failure, but as another post said, he was over the speed limit by 12 miles per hour entering the sharpest turn on the route.
I’m surprised there are not automatic warning alarms on trains when they exceed speeds or are not slowing down appropriately. Hell, my $200 portable garmin navi knows the speed limits on every road I travel and my speed (on the navi) turns red when I exceed the posted limit. How this isn’t incorporated into these trains makes no sense.
Thanks for your post...That’s an awful sharp curve from seeing the pics.
“... on the cell phone AGAIN .....”
Just what I was thinking. Just because you don’t have to worry about intersections or oncoming traffic doesn’y mean you can divert your attention from your job. They will definitely be checking the engineer’s phone records.
Good one.
It may or may not be true...no way to know.
On Fox News two hours ago was a Live interview with NTSB officials. I ask, why was that scheming scumbag chuckie schumer at the podium with the NTSB officials? He had nothing to contribute but that hideous scheming face of his.
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