Jun 23 2009
June 23, 2009 – Track Investigators Focus on Sensors
From Washington Times
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Metro train crash investigators focusing on sensors
The investigation into Monday’s fatal Metro crash that killed nine people is focusing on radarlike sensors that failed to alert a red line train that other trains were stopped on the track, John B. Catoe Jr., the agency’s general manager, said Tuesday morning.
He said the computerized sensor system is similar to an air-traffic-control system and stops trains when a problem occurs on a track, including when another train is too close. Mr. Catoe said the system also has a mechanical override that did not engage during the afternoon rush-hour crash, but he declined to speculate on why it did not engage.
He said the system worked for several trains along the line, including the one that was stopped and struck.
“Something happened to it,” he said. “I don’t know what happened.”
Mr. Catoe spoke at a press conference in which federal investigators said the southbound train that rammed the stopped train, between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations, was composed of older-model cars — known as 1000-series cars — that had been identified as inadequate.
National Transportation Safety Board member Debbie Hersman said all “perishable data” has been collected in the first phase of the investigation and that the agency will now begin looking at documents, including cell-phone records. An agency spokesman said investigators will review all communications related to portable communication devices, including sending text messages.
Mrs. Hersman said the 1000-series cars do not have the crash-recording devices that were on board the newer, six-car train, which was hit at about 5 p.m. Monday on the red line. The accident also injured at least 70 people.
She said the agency recommended in 2004 and 2006 that such cars be retrofitted or phased out, but Metro has failed to do that.
“The case was closed in an unacceptable status,” Mrs. Hersman said.
She said the agency also recommended recorders be added to the 1000-series cars.
Metro officials announced later in the morning that nine people were killed in the crash — eight unnamed passengers and the operator of the moving train, Jeanice McMillan, 42.
At the press conference, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty could confirm only seven deaths.
Officials have not released the names of other victims but have scheduled a follow-up press conference for 5 p.m.
Chief Dennis L. Rubin of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department said a crane was brought to the crash site at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday to begin separating the trains. The last cars of the struck train are underneath the front cars of the striking train.
He described the scene as “in layers” and “horrific.” Chief Rubin also said that two firefighters were injured in the rescue operation and that dogs were sent into surrounding woods to find crash victims.
Mrs. Hersman said the struck train was composed on newer-models cars that had nine data recorders that will help investigators learn exactly what happened.
However, having no recorders on the other train will hurt attempts to learn such key information as how fast it was going and whether the operator attempted to apply the brakes manually.
“We do not expect to get good information off of that train,” Mrs. Hersman said.
She also said nine NTSB investigators are on the scene and will be divided into several units, including a Signal Team; a Mechanical-Records Team; a Track Team, which will look for rail cracks and broken circuits; and a Survival-Factors Team, which will gather such information as how quickly passengers were removed from the wreckage.
Investigators also will try to determine how fast the train was traveling and conduct a “sight-distance” test to attempt to learn whether the train operator could see the stopped train. The accident occurred before twilight on a clear day.
Mrs. Hersman said investigators also will attempt to reconstruct the accident with “exemplar” cars.
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty revisited the crash scene after the press conference and said the death toll likely will increase.
“It brought home what an awful tragedy this is,” he said.
