Re: NTSB Verdict In
Author: BOB2
Date: 01-21-2010 - 17:40
NTSB verdict:Sanchez.
One scathing set of comments about his lack of "professionalism", that were spot on.
No real surprise, and real bad news for Connex.
Actually, Atwood and Chatsworth were very similar, rules violations by the crew or individual that caused the accident.
Atwood was a case of either falling asleep, after a call on the worst night shift on duty schedule for fatique, or "blinded by the sun", the freight crew passed a restrictive signal and hit the stopped ML, crew failure. Atwood was the fault of the freight crew, and the ML Engineer was the hero for moving people to the back of the car before impact.
Chatsworth's cause is a list of open and shut violations of the operating rules, "texting while driving", and blowing through a restrictive signal, and through the misaligned mainline switch, into an oncoming UP freight. The danger revealed at Atwood,was not heeded, maybe bedause they were "lucky" only one fatality(?) and far fewer injuries, at Chatsworth the "luck" ran out.