The May 2015 derailment of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia was the result of a loss of situational awareness by the train’s engineer after his attention was diverted to an emergency involving another train, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in a public meeting yesterday.
The Washington-to-New York City passenger train, Amtrak 188, was traveling at 106 mph around a curve in Philadelphia — more than twice the authorized speed of 50 mph — when it derailed May 12, 2015. Eight passengers were killed and more than 180 others were sent to area hospitals, some with critical injuries.
“It’s widely understood that every person, no matter how conscientious and skilled, is fallible, which is why technology was developed to backstop human vulnerabilities,” said NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart. “Had positive train control been in place on that stretch of track, this entirely preventable tragedy would not have happened.”
NTSB investigators who interviewed the Amtrak engineer described him as “very cooperative.” At the time of the accident he was not impaired by any substance and was not using his cell phone. There was no evidence that he was fatigued or suffering from any pre-existing medical condition while operating the train on the night of the accident.