Railroad Forums 

Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.

Moderator: Liquidcamphor

 #2340  by DutchRailnut
 
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

March 16, 2004

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UPDATE ON NTSB INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENT INVOLVING
UNMANNED LIRR LOCOMOTIVE IN NEW YORK CITY

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The National Transportation Safety Board today released the
following update on its investigation of a series of highway
grade crossing collisions, March 10, involving an unmanned
Long Island Rail Road locomotive in Queens, New York. The
unmanned locomotive passed through grade crossings that did
not have active warning devices (bells, lights, gates),
striking several vehicles and causing serious injuries to
four vehicle occupants.

NTSB investigators have completed interviews with all five
of the railroad employees involved in the accident and will
be reviewing that information. The employees have told the
Safety Board that they set the air brakes before leaving the
locomotive unmanned for a brief period.

While crewmembers reported setting the air brakes, according
to crew statements and investigator observations, a separate
braking system - the hand brake - was not set, nor were the
wheels blocked, as required by LIRR operating rules when a
locomotive is left unattended.

Two days before the accident, the locomotive passed an
inspection mandated by the Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA). (The FRA requires that locomotives be inspected
every 92 days.) However, tests done on the locomotive
after the accident showed some leakage in the air brake
system, indicating that after a period of time enough air
would bleed off to release the brakes. The locomotive is
being held out of service for further NTSB mechanical
evaluation.

Data from the locomotive event recorders has been sent to
the NTSB laboratory in Washington for detailed readout and
analysis. Investigators also will be studying security
camera videos obtained by the New York City Police
Department.

NTSB investigators are looking into why a protective
mechanism, installed on the rails and designed to be able to
stop railroad equipment, failed. They also will be studying
the grade crossings, which earlier had active warning
devices that were removed.

The NTSB is aware of a report of an incident on March 6
stemming from brake problems with the accident locomotive,
and will be folding this information into its investigation.

The Safety Board also expects to receive reports of the
toxicology tests done on the train crewmembers in accordance
with LIRR policy.

NTSB Media Contact: Paul Schlamm (202) 314-6100
 #2626  by DutchRailnut
 
The same reporter who was lurking here changed the NTSB report to read

Feds blame LIRR workers, brakes


BY JOSHUA ROBIN
STAFF WRITER

March 17, 2004

Long Island Rail Road employees did not properly secure an unattended freight locomotive in Queens, likely leading to the train's destructive roll, federal investigators reported yesterday.

The National Transportation Safety Board also discovered mechanical problems in the train's air brakes, even though the 150-ton engine passed an internal inspection two days before the March 10 incident.

The findings, stated in a news release late yesterday, came as the Long Island Rail Road reported that the four employees involved in the accident have been placed on modified duty since the accident pending the outcome of the investigation.

MTA officials had previously stated that none of the workers were disciplined.

The runaway locomotive, an outmoded passenger engine used for track work, injured four people, two critically, when it struck a series of cars crossing freight tracks along the Queens-Brooklyn border.

Jason Kusinitz, 33, of Great Neck, the manager of a Maspeth car rental agency, remains in critical condition at Elmhurst Hospital Center. His co-worker, Lee Cuffie, 37, of Brooklyn, is now in stable condition at the same hospital.

From interviews and observations, investigators found that the crew did not set a hand brake before leaving the locomotive unattended, nor did they put blocks under the wheels, according to the NTSB statement. Both are required under LIRR regulations.

A representative of the LIRR employees' union did not return a call for comment.

The crew have maintained that they set another brake - the train's air brake - before leaving the scene. But that was not enough to keep the train from rolling.

Since the accident, investigators said they have found leaks in the air brake system that generated enough force to release the brakes.

It was unclear whether the exact air brake leak existed before the accident, but transit officials had reported brake problems on the train four days before the accident and two days before it was inspected by LIRR employees for a mandatory 92-day check, investigators have said.
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.