Jacksonville, FL — Less than a month after an Amtrak passenger train hit a parked CSX freight train, the NTSB is out with its preliminary report.
The train's conductor and engineer- 36-year-old Michael Cella, of Orange Park, and 54-year-old Michael Kempf, of Savannah, respectively- were killed in the crash, which also injured 92 other passengers and crew. It happened in South Carolina February 4th on the CSX Columbia Subdivision.
The new NTSB report says investigators have traveled to Jacksonville, in order to look in to dispatching aspects of the accident, to test the CSX signal system, and to conduct interviews. They’ve also spent time inspecting the tracks, signal system, and mechanical equipment; collecting records on operations, signal systems, mechanical equipment, track, and engineering; interviewing crew, dispatchers, and other personnel; and reviewing the emergency response.
So far, investigators have determined the conductor of the parked CSX train saw the Amtrak train approaching, and ran to the back of the locomotive, where he was thrown off by the impacted and suffered minor injuries. The engineer in that train got off and ran to safety, and was not hurt.
The Amtrak’s event data recorder was undamaged, according to the NTSB. Data from the recorder shows the train was traveling below the speed limit, sounded its horn, and applied an emergency brake. The forward-facing video recorder hard drive was recovered, but it stopped prior to the collision.
In all, the damage estimate for this incident is $25 million.
The NTSB has already issued an urgent recommendation to the Federal Railroad Administration, asking for an emergency order giving instructions for "railroads to follow when signal suspensions are in effect and a switch has been reported relined for a main track". The traffic control signal system was down at the time of this incident, because work was being done to install positive train control- a system designed to prevent crashes. It's also believed a switch was improperly flipped, sending the train to alternate tracks.
Cella's wife has sued Amtrak and CSX over the deadly crash, claiming her husband's death was wrongful.
The NTSB says all of the information is still considered preliminary at this point.