Railroad Accident Report: Collision of BNSF Coal Train With the Rear End of Standing BNSF Maintenance-of-Way Equipment Train, Red Oak, Iowa, April 17, 2011

On April 17, 2011, about 6:55 a.m. central daylight time, eastbound BNSF Railway coal train C-BTMCNM0-26, BNSF 9159 East, travelling about 23 mph, collided with the rear end of standing BNSF Railway maintenance-of-way equipment train U-BRGCRI-15, BNSF 9470 East, near Red Oak, Iowa. The accident occurred near milepost 448.3 on main track number two on the Creston Subdivision of the BNSF Railway Nebraska Division. The collision resulted in the derailment of 2 locomotives and 12 cars. As a result of collision forces, the lead locomotive’s modular crew cab was detached, partially crushed, and involved in a subsequent diesel fuel fire. Both crewmembers on the striking train were fatally injured. Damage was in excess of $8.7 million. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the crew of the striking train to comply with the signal indication requiring them to operate in accordance with restricted speed requirements and stop short of the standing train because they had fallen asleep due to fatigue resulting from their irregular work schedules and their medical conditions.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR1202.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  • http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/RAR1202.aspx
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: PB2012-916302
• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  490 L'Enfant Plaza, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 2012-4-24

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 93p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Derailments; Diseases and medical conditions; Fatalities; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Fires; Freight trains; Loss and damage; Maintenance of way cars; Railroad crashes; Train crews
• Identifier Terms: BNSF Railway
• Geographic Terms: Red Oak (Iowa)
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; I80: Accident Studies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01375250
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB/RAR-12/02, Notation 8400
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 11 2012 8:44AM