Page:Derailment of Amtrak Passenger Train 188 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania May 12, 2015.djvu/3

 '''National Transportation Safety Board. 2016. Derailment of Amtrak Passenger Train 188 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 12, 2015. Railroad Accident Report NTSB/RAR-16/02. Washington, DC.'''

Abstract: At 9:21 p.m. eastern daylight time on May 12, 2015, eastbound Amtrak passenger train 188 derailed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with 245 passengers and 8 Amtrak employees on board. The train had just entered the Frankford Junction curve—where the speed is restricted to 50 mph—at 106 mph. As the train entered the curve, the locomotive engineer applied the emergency brakes. Seconds later, the train derailed. Eight passengers died, and 185 others were transported to area hospitals.

This report addresses the following safety issues: crewmember situational awareness and management of multiple tasks; positive train control; passenger railcar window systems and occupant protection; and transportation of the injured after mass casualty incidents.

As a result of the investigation of this accident, the National Transportation Safety Board makes recommendations to Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration, the American Public Transportation Association, the Association of American Railroads, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Fire Department, the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, the mayor of the city of Philadelphia, the National Association of State EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Officials, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the National Emergency Management Association, the National Association of EMS Physicians, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency dedicated to promoting aviation, railroad, highway, marine, and pipeline safety. Established in 1967, the agency is mandated by Congress through the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to investigate transportation accidents, determine the probable causes of the accidents, issue safety recommendations, study transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety effectiveness of government agencies involved in transportation. The NTSB makes public its actions and decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety recommendations, and statistical reviews.

The NTSB does not assign fault or blame for an accident or incident; rather, as specified by NTSB regulation, "accident/incident investigations are fact-finding proceedings with no formal issues and no adverse parties. .. and are not conducted for the purpose of determining the rights or liabilities of any person." 49 CFR § 831.4. Assignment of fault or legal liability is not relevant to the NTSB's statutory mission to improve transportation safety by investigating accidents and incidents and issuing safety recommendations. In addition, statutory language prohibits the admission into evidence or use of any part of an NTSB report related to an accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report. 49 USC § 1154(b).

For more detailed background information on this report, visit http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/dms.html and search for NTSB accident ID DCA15MR010. Recent publications are available in their entirety on the Internet at http://www.ntsb.gov. Other information about available publications also may be obtained from the website or by contacting: National Transportation Safety Board, Records Management Division, CIO-40, 490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594, (800) 877-6799 or (202) 314-6551

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