New Amtrak Derailment Report Indicates Engineer Missed Signs

DUPONT, WA - The Amtrak engineer in control of the train that derailed in DuPont Dec. 18 has told investigators he does not recall seeing important signs in the moments before the crash. The engineer planned to slow the train down 1 mile before the curve where the derailment happened, but does not remember seeing milepost signs, according to the National Transportation Safety Board report released Thursday.

There were 77 passengers aboard the Portland-bound train when it derailed going 79 MPH. Three people died in the derailment and 62 were injured. Another eight people were injured as train cars tumbled off a bridge onto I-5.

According to the NTSB, the 55-year-old engineer knew about the curve and planned to slow the train down at milepost 18, about 1 mile before the curve over I-5. The engineer saw a sign for milepost 17, but did not remember seeing signs for milepost 18. He also did not recall a 30 MPH speed limit sign posted two miles before where the crash occurred, according to the report.

The NTSB report did not reveal other distractions. The engineer was not using an electronic device, and he was not distracted by another person - a conductor trainee - in the cabin with him.

"Just prior to the derailment, the qualifying conductor said he looked down at his copies of the general track bulletins. He then heard the engineer say or mumble something. He then looked up and sensed that the train was becoming 'airborne,'" the NTSB report says.

The NTSB report released Thursday is preliminary. The agency expects the full investigation to last up to two years.

Here are the highlights from the National Transportation Safety Board report released Thursday:

• The engineer recalled that as the train passed milepost 15.5 it was traveling about 79 mph.
• The engineer told investigators that he was aware that the curve with the 30 mph speed restriction was at milepost 19.8, and that he had planned to initiate braking about one mile prior to the curve.
• The engineer said that he saw mileposts 16 and 17 but didn’t recall seeing milepost 18 or the 30 mph advance speed sign, which was posted two miles ahead of the speed-restricted curve.
• The engineer said that he did see the wayside signal at milepost 19.8 (at the accident curve) but mistook it for another signal, which was north of the curve.
• He said that as soon as he saw the 30 mph sign at the start of the curve, he applied brakes. Seconds later, the train derailed as it entered the curve.

Image courtesy Washington State Patrol