Philadelphia Amtrak Derailment: Investigators Rule Out Train, Track, Signals as Causes

Brandon Bostian, the engineer on the ill-fated Amtraktrain that crashed May 12, gave investigators sharply differing accounts of what he recalls of the moments before the crash, raising questions about his credibility, two prominent plaintiffs said Monday. “But I typically accelerate in full throttle and then back off as I approach the maximum speed”.

The release of these files by the NTSB indicates the conclusion of the fact-finding phase of the NTSB investigation.

Yet, Bostian told investigators in an initial interview three days later that his last pre-crash memory involved ringing the bell on the locomotive as it passed through North Philadelphia station.

Investigators do not believe Bostian was on his phone or texting.

“I came out of the 65 mile an hour curve”.

For now, the exact reasons for the crash remain a mystery.

He said he remembers pushing the throttle to bring the train up to speed in an 80 miles per hour zone after first thinking the limit there was 70 miles per hour.

Bostian said that although the transmission made him “a little bit” concerned for his safety, he wasn’t “super concerned”, the documents said. The NTSB has said such as system would have prevented the accident.

“I remember feeling my body lurch to the right, towards the right side of the engine”.

Bostian said he knew a coworker who got glass in his eye after a collision with a tractor trailer. Additional speed limit signs have also been added to the stretch of train corridor where the accident took place.

He said he tried emergency breaking procedures but that didn’t work either.

“I recall hoping that the train would not tip completely over”. I really do feel safe”, said Lisa Schweitzer of Glen Mills, Pa. “There are just things that are out of everyone’s control. Amtrak has conceded responsibility for the crash, but the cases likely won’t be settled until after the NTSB investigation is complete – leaving victims on the hook for medical costs until then while they grapple for answers. “I don’t remember hearing much”. He heard screams from passengers. Otherwise, it was “kind of quiet”, he said.

One factor may have been “situational awareness” – meaning that Bostian simply forgot where he was and forgot to slow the train down.

The section of track where the train derailed in Philadelphia is Frankford junction, located between Washington and NY. He had had a radio conversation with the dispatcher. But they have not ruled out that the train was struck by something else. Only a handful of railroads are close to meeting a deadline this year to install safety technology that can prevent many crashes, including derailments due to excessive speed like the deadly Amtrak crash in Philadelphia in May, according to a government report released Friday.