Train Engineer Has 'No Memory' Of Hoboken Crash As Other Problems Arise In Probe: NTSB

Investigators say they've run into some problems that could impede the investigation into last week's fatal Hoboken train crash.

The engineer of the New Jersey train that crashed in Hoboken on Thursday, killing one and injuring 108 others, told investigators that he has "no memory" of the crash and that he felt "fully rested," according to Bella Dinh-Zarr, vice-chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

"He remembers waking up on the floor of the cab," she said.

Also, the event recorder, the so-called "black box" which was built in 1995, was not working - possibly because "that's quite an old event recorder." NTSB officials are working to recover a second recorder that likely remains inside the wreckage at the now-closed train station, according to Dinh-Zahr.

"We want to get in and get the exact speed of the train," said Dinh-Zahr. "We're unable to do that - unfortunately, one of the event recorders was not working."

Din-Zahr said the engineer, Thomas Gallagher, was hired in 1987 and became a fully-qualified engineer in 2000. On the day of the crash, Gallagher felt fully rested, investigators say. His cell phone, which he kept inside his personal backpack, was turned off.

He also told investigators that he was going 10 mph when he approached the Hoboken station.

The engineer and conductor, who was not identified, went on-duty soon after 6:30 a.m., and the conductor on the train "didn't notice anything unusual" about the engineer's behavior when the Pascack Valley Line train left the Spring Valley station that morning.

The conductor, who was not identified, also didn't notice anything unusual about the speed of the train - only that the train was very crowded, Dinh-Zahr said.

Gallagher said he was able to operate the train normally, and there was clear visibility approaching the station, according to investigators. He blew his horn as he approached the station, checked his speedometer and noticed that the train was 6 minutes late.

But that was the last thing he remembered.

"The engineer said he has no memory of the accident," Dinh Zahr said.

The NTSB also determined the following:

• Though investigators interviewed the train engineer, no interview summaries will be provided until interviews are completed.
• Environmental and structural issues still prevent removal of the train from the station. Extensive debris removal must be completed before investigators can access the train and then have the train removed.
• With the assistance of NJ Transit, investigators obtained video from other trains that were at the Hoboken Terminal, to see what those cameras captured from the accident event.
• The event recorder from the trailing locomotive No. 4214 has arrived at the recorder manufacturer’s facility in Kentucky, and NTSB personnel are supervising the attempted download.
• There were no signal anomalies found on the tracks leading to the terminal. A full signal study cannot yet be completed because the train remains in the terminal.
• Investigators completed the walking inspection of the track and found nothing that would have affected the performance of the train.

The victim has been identified by authorities as Fabiola Bittar de Kroon, 34, of Hoboken. Gov. Chris Christie said de Kroon was hit by debris on the platform when the train crashed.

Read update: Tears For Young Mother Killed In Hoboken Train Crash As Probe Continues

Christie and New Jersey lawmakers confirmed that in addition to the fatality, 108 people were injured in the 8:45 a.m. crash. The Federal Rail Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been on scene since Thursday to investigate.

Photos from the scene show the mangled train car that crashed into the platform of Track 5. Beams and wires appear to be knocked down, and a portion of the roof looks like it collapsed, photos from the terminal show. Passengers described people screaming and bloodied as they exited the train.

Christie, during a press conference Thursday afternoon, called the accident an "extraordinary tragedy," but he declined to speculate on a cause and couldn't say when the station would reopen. "We pray for the victims and their family," he said.

Last week, Christie said the train "came in at a higher rate of speed than it should have," and he's not sure why. He said the Office of the Attorney General is investigating the crash, noting that the train engineer — who was in critical condition Thursday afternoon — "is fully cooperating."

"We have nothing to believe other than this was a tragic accident," he said.

Photos courtesy of John Tachine