The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) yesterday opened the accident docket and publicly released more than 2,000 pages of information as part of the NTSB’s ongoing investigation of the May 12, 2015, Amtrak passenger train derailment in Philadelphia.
More than double the speed limit
Amtrak passenger train #188 derailed, after entering a curve at 106 mph where the speed is restricted to 50 mph. Of the 250 passengers and eight Amtrak employees who were on board, eight passengers were killed and more than 200 others were transported to area hospitals.
Included in the docket are documents containing interview transcripts, letters, factual reports, photographs and other investigative material.
Moving ahead with analysis
The public docket contains only factual information collected by NTSB investigators, and does not provide analysis, findings, recommendations or probable cause determinations. No conclusions about how or why an accident occurred should be drawn from the docket. The docket opening marks a transition in the investigative process where the majority of facts needed for the investigation have been gathered and the NTSB can move ahead with analysis of those facts. Opening the docket affords those with a need and desire for its contents the opportunity review what factual information has been gathered about the accident. Any analysis, findings, recommendations, or probable cause determinations related to the accident will be issued by the Board at a later date.
The docket material is available at: http://go.usa.gov/cEecP.