SYNOPSIS SECTION
JANUARY 1, 1968
SS-R-2
PENNSYLVANIA
RAILROAD
Train PR-11a, Extra 2210 West And Train SW-6, Extra 2217 East
Derailment And Collision
Dunreith, Indiana
JANUARY
1, 1968
ADOPTED:
DECEMBER 18, 1968
JANUARY
25, 1969
RAILROAD
ACCIDENT REPORT
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
COMPANY TRAIN
154
DERAILMENT
WITH FIRE AND EXPLOSION LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI
JANUARY
25, 1969
February
18. 1969
NTSB-RAR-71-2
Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company, Train 64 and 824, Derailment and
Collision with Tank Car Explosion. Crete Nebraska.
February
l8,l969
At
about 6:30 a.m., on February 18, 1969, Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Train
No. 64 derailed the 72nd to the 90th cars, inclusive, at a turnout located on
the spiral of a 20 curve as the train was entering Crete, Nebraska, at a speed
of about 52 miles per hour. The derailed cars struck standing cars on a siding
south of the main track and the cars of train 824 standing on a track north of
the main track. A tank car in train 824 was completely fractured on impact with
the derailed cars which released the lading of 29,200 gallons of anhydrous
ammonia into the atmosphere. A gas cloud was formed which blanketed the
surrounding area for a considerable time due to the weather conditions. Three
trespassers riding on train 64 were killed as a result of the derailment and
six people were killed and 53 were injured as a result of exposure to the cloud
of ammonia. The Safety Board determined that the derailment was caused by the
movement of a rail of the turnout due to lateral forces produced by the
locomotive as it moved over track alignment and surface deficiencies of the
track. The complete fracture of the tank car on impact was contributed to by
the brittleness of the steel of the car caused by the low ambient temperature.
September
11, 1969
SS-R-8
ILLINOIS
CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY Train Second 76 Derailment at Glendora, Mississippi
September 11, 1969
About
2:35 p.m., September 11, 1969, an Illinois Central freight train struck a
pedestrian near the Glendora, Mississippi, station. When the engineer applied
the brakes in full emergency in an attempt to avoid striking the pedestrian,
the 149-car train buckled at the 108th car. The resulting derailment involved
15 cars, including eight tank cars loaded with vinyl chloride. The cars
separated in the derailment and the coupler of one of the cars punctured one of
the tank cars, spilling its contents on the ground.
Initially,
the breeze dispersed the vapor; however, about 8:30 p.m. the vapor accumulated
in lowplaces and was ignited by an unknown source. The ignition was followed by
several explosions.
Upon
advice from a State chemist, an estimated 17,000 to 21,000 persons were
evacuated because of an alleged danger from phosgene.
The
following morning a fire-impinged tank car of vinyl chloride exploded
violently, seriously damaging the surrounding area. Four tenant houses, several
auxiliary buildings, automobiles, and equipment were destroyed and damaged by
fire.
The
pedestrian was seriously injured and a power company employee was burned. Both
recovered.
NTSB-HAR-71-7
ACCIDENTAL
MIXING OF INCOMPATIBLE CHEMICALS, FOLLOWED BY MULTIPLE FATALITIES, DURING A
BULK DELIVERY, BERWICK MATNE APRIL 2. 1971
APRIL
2. 1971
Six
tannery workers died from inhalation of a toxic gas formed by the reaction o
incompatible chemicals mixed during the delivery of a bulk liquid chemical at
Berwick, Maine. The transfer hose from the tank semitrailer had been connected
to the wrong plant fill line connection. A need to identify risks existing at
bulk delivery transportation/receiving interfaces was established, and an
investigation recommended.
NTSB-HAR-
72-3
August
8, 1971
TRUCK-AUTOMOBILE
COLLISIOf INOLVING SPILLED NETHYL
BROI4IDE
ON U.S. 90, NEAR GRETNA, FLORIDA, AUGUST 8, 1971
A
passenger automobile makingaleft turn atanintersection near Gretna, Florida,
was struck by a tractor-van type semitrailer combination which was attempting
to over-take and pass the automobile. Both vehicles entered a roadside ditch
after the collision. Several unsecured large steel cylinders, containing a
mixture of methyl bromide and chlorpicrin pressurized with air, broke out of
the trailer and sustained damages which resulted in leakage of the contents.
Four of the occupants of the automobile were exposed to the resultant
contaminated atmosphere and did not survive.
NTSB-HAR-72-5
Automobile-Truck
Collision Followed by Fire and
Explosion
of Dynamite Cargo on U. S. Highway 78, near
Waco.
Georgia on June 4. 1971.
June
4, 1971
An
automobile crossed over the centerline of a two-lane highway and collided with
a tractor-semitrailer transporting a 25,414-pound cargo of explosives. The
automobile driver was killed in the collision, and fire broke out immediately.
The
cargo exploded. Two firemen, a wrecker driver, and two bystanders died as a
result of the explosion. Thirty-three people were injured, and property damage
was estimated in excess of one million dollars.
-
- -
Contributing
to the fatalities and injuries were:(1) the lack of a workable system to warn
everyone within the danger range of an explosion, (2) the failure to notify
emergency service personnel promptly and accurately of the hazards involved,
(3) the decision of the firemen to try and contain the hazardous fire, and (4)
bystanders’ disregard or lack of understanding of the truck
driver’s warnings.
NTSB-HAR-73-3
Highway
Accident Report - Propane Tractor-Semitrailer Overturn and Fire, U. S. Route
501, Lynchburg, Va., March 9, 1972
March
9, 1972
This
report describes and analyzes the overturn of a tractor-semitrailer (tank)
carrying liquid propane under pressure on U. S. Route 501 near Lynchburg, Va.,
on March 9, 1972. After overturning, the vehicle slid on its side and struck a
rock embankment, which ruptured the tank shell and permitted the propane to
escape. When the propane-air mixture ignited, two persons, including the
truckdriver, were killed, and five others were injured.
The
causes of the burn fatalities and injuries were rupture of the tank at a point
susceptible to rupture and the inadequacy of the required placards as a means
of warning bystanders of the nature and range of the hazard.
NTSB-RAR-
75-2
May
24, 1973
Southern
Pacific Transportation Co., Freight Train 2nd BSM Munitions Explosion, Benson,
Arizona, May 24, 1973.
On
May 24, 1973, Southern Pacific Transportation Company’s freight train 2nd
BSM 22, was approaching Benson, Arizona, when I of 12 munitions boxcars in the
train’s consist caught fire. The boxcars were loaded with 500-lb. MK 82
bombs. As the train stopped, the cargo exploded, and the explosions continued
for several hours.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
accident was the exposure of heat-sensitive bombs in Car 38 to a fire inside
the car. The fire most likely originated from sparks off the brakeshoes which
ignited the sodium nitrate impregnated floorboards.
NTSB-HAR-77-1
May
11, 1976
Transport
Company of Texas, Tractor-Semitrailer (Tank) Collision With Bridge Column and
Sudden Dispersal of Anhydrous Ammonia Cargo, 1-610 at Southwest Freeway, \,
Texas, May 11, 1976
About
11:08 a.m., on May 11, 1976, a Transport Company of Texas tractor- semitrailer
(tank) transporting 7,509 gallons of anhydrous ammonia struck and then
penetrated a bridge rail on a ramp connecting 1-610 with the Southwest Freeway
(U.S. 59) in Houston, Texas. The tractor and trailer left the ramp, struck a
support column of an adjacent overpass, and fell onto the Southwest Freeway,
approximately 15 feet below. The anhydrous ammonia was released from the
damaged tank semitrailer.
Six
persons died as a result of the accident, 78 persons were hospitalized, and
approximately 100 other persons were treated for injuries.
NTSB-RAR-
72-6
October
19, 1971
Derailment
of Missouri Pacific Railroad Company’s Train
94
at Houston, Texas, October 19, 1971.
The
Missouri Pacific Railroad’s freight train 94 was traveling north on track
which belongs to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway when 20 of its cars
derailed in Houston, Texas, on October 19, 1971, at 1:44 p.m. There were four
diesel- electric locomotive units and 82 cars in the train.
Derailed
cars included six tank cars containing vinyl chloride monomer and two cars
containing other hazardous materials. Two tank cars were punctured in the
derailment. The vinyl chloride monomer escaped and ignited. The Houston Fire
Departmen attempted to control the fire. Approximately 45 minutes after the
initial derailment, one tank car ruptured violently and another tank car
“rocketed” approximately 300 feet from its initial resting place.
This sequence of events caused the death of a fireman. Fifty people were
injured and there was considerable property damage. Most of the injured were
firemen.
The
Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was an
unexplained emergency brake application which induced lateral forces exceeding
the holdi capacity of the track fasteners. The severity of the accident was
increased by the abrupt rupture of the tank car and the lack of adequate
training, information, and documented procedures for identifying and assessing
the threats to public safety.
NTSB-MSS-72-2
Analysis
of the Safety of Transportation of Hazardou s Materials onthe Navigable Waters
of the United States
March
15, 1972
The
report analyzes the safety of transportation of bulk hazardous materials on the
navigable waters of the United States. Typical hazardous materials (H.M.)
accidents
are analyzed to determine what countermeasures are necessary to prevent
recurrence. Risks involved in the transportation of H.M. are analyzed, with
priority given to prevention of catastrophic accidents. The ingredients
necessary for the occurrence of a catastrophic H.M. incident are discussed, and
the risk peaks leading to the casualty are analyzed. Federal regulatory
authority over the transportation of H.M. by water is summarized. Projects of
the future shipment of H.M., and trends in H.M. accidents are made. The report
concludes with a summary of areas of control of H.M. needed to prevent major
H.M. accidents, and recommendations made to implement these added controls.
SEE-79-2
Safety
Effectiveness Evaluation of the Federal Railroad Administration’s
Hazardous Materials and Track Safety Programs
Adopted
March 8, 1979
The
Congress directed NTSB to “conduct a thorough review of hazardous
materials rail shipments and the applicable Federal (track) standards as well
as determine how the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) can more effectively
prevent the occurrence and reduce the severity of derailments of hazardous
materials.”
The
report is based on information obtained through interviews and reviews of
technical literature and Department of Transportation organizational documents.
The review was limited to the derailment of hazardous materials and the
applicable track standards.
The
review found that FRA needs a full-time railroad safety expert at the head of
the Office of Safety. The data base is inadequate to define and rate the
problems The program should be based on risks and the goals and objectives
should be based on the level of risk that is acceptable. The Federal/State
partnership required by the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 should be
improved for more effective use of State inspectors.
NTSB-HZM-80-
1
Special
Investigati6n Report--The Accident Performance of Tank Car Safeguards
March
8, 1980
The
derailment of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company freight train near
Paxton, Texas, on September 8, 1979, provided the Safety Board with the
opportunity to examine the effectiveness of tank car safeguards during a
derailment. Reconstruction of the accident damage sequence showed that
safeguards did, in fact, reduce the potential for a spill and catastrophic
overheating of thermally coated cars. It was also observed that damage to the
top fittings and lower outlet valves, which occurred when cars collided with
each other and with other objects after they left the track, was the most
frequent cause of product loss.
The
Safety Board made recommendations to the Department of Transportation
concerning the extension of safeguard requirements to all types of tank cars;
modification of cars to prevent collision damage to top fittings and lower
outlet valves; investigation of the effect of car placement in collisions; and
crashworthiness testing of new tank car designs.
NTSB-HAR-82-3
Highway
Accident Report-Pacific inter-mountain Express Tractor Cargo Tank
Semitrailer/Eagle F.B.Truck Lines, Inc. Tractor Lowboy Semitrailer, Collision
and Fire U.S. Route 50, Near Canon City, Colorado, November 14, 1981.
June
22, 1982
About
8:10 a.m., m.s.t., on November 14, 1981, a westbound tractor cargo tank
semitrailer loaded with approximately 9,000 gallons of gasoline sideswiped an
eastbound tractor-lowboy semitrailer while attempting to negotiate a right-hand
curve on a three-lane highway near Canon City, Colorado. When the cargo tank of
the westbound vehicle was punctured during impact, fire erupted and rapidly
engulfed the two accident vehicles and a passenger car not involved in the
impact. In addition to extensive property damage, eight vehicle occupants were
killed and two seriously injured as a result of the postcrash fire.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the failure of the Pacific Intermountain Express truck driver to
maintain his vehicle within the proper traffic lane during an evasive maneuver
in a right curve at a speed in excess of the vehicle’s critical overturn
stability. Contributing to the driver’s loss of control was the
driver’s cumulative fatigue. Contributing to the accident severity and
loss of life were the puncture of the cargo tank and the ignition of the
released gasoline cargo immediately following impact.
NTSB-RHR-81-1
Illinois
Central Gulf Railroad Freight Train, Mobil Oil Company Tractor/Cargo-Tank
Semitrailer Collision and Fire, Kenner, Louisiana, November 25 1980
November
25, 1980
About
6:58 p.m., on November 25, 1980, a southbound tractor/cargo-tank semitrailer
loaded with 8,600 gallons of gasoline approached a railroad/highway grade
crossing on Williams Boulevard in Kenner, Louisiana. The vehicle was driven
around the grade crossing automatic gates which were down and was struck by an
eastbound Illinois Central Gulf Railroad freight train. The freight
train’s lights were illuminated, its whistle was sounding, and its bell
was ringing. The overturning semitrailer struck a northbound automobile stopped
at the crossing. Gasoline flowing from the ruptured cargo tank ignited. The
burning gasoline destroyed the automobile, a building, the semitrailer, and
damaged 19 other automobiles. The train locomotive was derailed and was damaged
by fire. Seven persons were killed and six others were injured in the accident.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the failure of the truckdriver to obey the activated warning
devices and his attempt to drive the truck across the railroad/highway grade
crossing ahead of the freight train. Contributing to the severity of this
accident and loss of life was the rupture of the cargo tank and the ignition of
the gasoline cargo.
NTSB-TSR-RHR-
82-1
Miller
Transporters, Inc., Tractor Cargo Tank-Semi trailer/Southern Railway System
Freight Train Collision and Fire, Huntsville, Alabama, September 15, 1981
September
15, 1981
At
9:00 a.m. c.d.t., on September 15, 1981, a northbound truck tractor-cargo tank
semitrailer loaded with 8,986 gallons of gasoline was struck by a westbound
freight train at a railroad/highway grade crossing on Jordan Lane in
Huntsville, Alabama. The gasoline cargo escaping from the ruptured cargo tank
splashed over the locomotive and four passenger cars, that had stopped north of
the track to await the train’s passage, and ignited. At the time, the
crossing warning red lights were flashing and the bell was ringing; the train
lights were illuminated, its bell was ringing, and its whistle was sounding.
Five persons were killed, two persons died later as a result of their injuries,
and four of five train crewmembers were injured.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the failure of the truck driver to comply with the activated
crossing warning signal and Federal regulations and company rides that require
hazardous materials carriers to stop at all nonexempt railroad crossings to
determine if it is safe before crossing the tracks. Contributing to the
severity of this accident and loss of life was the rupture of the cargo tank
and the rapid spread of the burning gasoline around the victims’ cars
which were stopped directly in the path of the spreading gasoline.
NTSB-TSR-RHR-82-3
Collision
of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Commuter Train No. 114
with a Gasoline Truck, Southampton, Pennsylvania, January 2,1982
January
2, 1982About 9:45 a.m., e.s.t., on January 2, 1982, eastbound Southeastern
Pennsylvania transportation Authority (SEPTA) passenger train No. 114,
consisting of a single rail diesel self-propelled passenger car (RDC), struck a
southbound Atlantic Richfield Company (ARGO) tractor/cargo-tank semitrailer
(truck) carrying gasoline at the Second Street Pike crossing at Southampton,
Pennsylvania. The tractor and trailer overturned, erupted in fire, and crushed
the rear of a automobile standing south of the crossing in the northbound lane
of Second Street Pike. Five persons sustained minor injuries. The train
operator sustained second and third degree burns over 80 percent of his body
and died 2 weeks later as a result of his injuries. Damage was estimated at
$452,900.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was that the rail diesel car did not maintain a constant shunt of the
track circuit which resulted in the failure of the automatic crossing warning
device to indicate to highway traffic the approach of the train.
NTSB
SIR-87/0l
Collision
Between a Tractor-Semitrailer Transporting Bombs and an Automobile, Resulting
in Fire and Explosions, Checotah, Oklahoma, August 4, 1985
August
4, 1985
16.Abstract
About 3:30 a.m., c.d.t., on August 4, 1985, a tractor-semitrailer operated by
Explosives Transports, Inc., and loaded with 10 MK 84 2,000-pound general
purpose bombs, collided with an automobile on Interstate 40 near Checotah,
Oklahoma. The automobile fuel tank ruptured and spilled gasoline which quickly
ignited. Both vehicles were engulfed in flames. Subsequent explosions from the
bombs destroyed the vehicles and left a crater in the roadway 27 feet deep and
35 feet across. Three hundred and seventy-one residences were damaged. Other
buildings, including a school located 734 feet from the accident site, suffered
substantial damage. Total damages were estimated at $5 million. Forty-nine
persons reported to a hospital emergency room for treatment of injuries, most
after breathing smoke and gases from burning tritonal. No one was fatally
injured.
Safety
issues addressed in this report concern the adequacy of the U.S. Department of
Defense’s (DOD) munitions transportation safety program, including
procedures for identifying unsafe operating practices of motor carriers used to
transport Class A and Class B explosive shipments; the lack of thermal
protection for explosive shipments to provide reasonable time to evacuate
persons from nearby threatened areas; and the adequacy of recommended minimum
evacuation distances when explosives are involved in fire during transportation.
NTSB-SR-79-2
Title
and Subtitle
Safety
Report on the Progress of Safety Modification of Railroad Tank Cars Carrying
Hazardous Materials
September
13, 1979
As
a direct result of Safety Board efforts, the Department of Transportation in
1978 adopted an accelerated schedule for retrofitting tank cars carrying
hazardous materials with safety equipment to protect against tank-head puncture
and thermal rupture in accidents. One of the Safety Board’s safety
objectives during FY 1979 was to monitor the retrofit program to see that the
safety modifications are completed as soon as possible. Review and monitoring
of the tank car safety retrofit program indicate that:
(1) The
shelf coupler retrofit for DOT 112/114 tank cars was virtually completed within
6 months of the announcement of the accelerated schedule.
2) Headshields
are not being retrofitted as rapidly as possible.
3) As
a result of retrofit problems and the structure of the regulations, headshield
installations on more than 1,000 tank cars may be delayed up to 1 year.
4) Shelf
couplers and/or headshields performed effectively in protecting against
tank-head puncture in two derailments investigated by the Safety Board in FY
1979.
5) On
one recommendation, the Department of Transportation has exceeded the statutory
time limit on responding to Safety Board recommendations.
NTSB/RAR-83/04
04
Derailment
of Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Train No. 120, at Colonial Heights, Virginia
May 31, 1982.
May
31, 1982
At
1:25 p.m., on May 31, 1982, northbound Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) freight train
No. 120 derailed at the Swift Creek Bridge in Colonial Heights. Virginia,
following a hard run in of slack which occurred when the train transited a
change in grades. The train was classified as restricted by SCL timetable
designation with a maximum authorized speed of 50 mph. The engineer stated the
train speed was 45 mph at the time of derailment; however, tests conducted
following the accident indicate that the train speed was 64 mph when the train
derailed. Cars No. 89 through No. 118 derailed. A tank car was breached in the
derailment, and its contents were released and immediately ignited. No
crewmembers were injured as a result of the accident, but 12 firefighters and a
state emergency official collapsed during firefighting operations. Erroneous
and conflicting information concerning hazardous material on the train caused
confusion and resulted in misdirected emergency response efforts.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the failure of the engineer of train No. 120 to control the slack
action of the train as it transited a change in grade. Contributing to the
accident was the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad’s allowing an engineer who
was known to be deficient in train handling skills to operate the train.
Contributing to the severity of the fire and to the ineffectiveness of the
emergency response was inadequate training of railroad operating personnel and
onscene railroad management.
NTSB-RAR-79-11
Louisville
& Nashville Railroad Company Freight Train Derailment and Puncture of
Hazardous Materials Tank Cars, Crestview Florida, April 8, 1979
April
8, 1979
About
8 a.m., on April 8,1979, 29 cars, including 26 placarded tank cars containing
hazardous materials, of Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company freight
train No. 403 derailed while moving around a 4002? curve between Milligan and
Crestview, Florida. Two tank cars of anhydrous ammonia ruptured and rocketed.
Twelve other cars containing acetone, methyl alcohol, chlorine, carbolic acid,
and anhydrous ammonia ruptured, and their contents either burned or were
consumed by fire. Fourteen persons were injured as a result of the release of
anhydrous ammonia and other materials or during the evacuation of 4,500
persons. Property damage was estimated to be $1,258,500.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the large compressive force generated between the 36th and 37th
cars by a combination of excessive train tonnage and improper train handling
which caused the 36th car to overturn the outside rail of the 4002, curve and
derail. Contributing to the severe consequences of the accident was the release
of anhydrous ammonia and other hazardous materials, through ruptures and
punctures in the sides of the tank cars, which caused all of the injuries and
led to the evacuation of 4,500 persons from the area.
NTSB-RAR-83-l
Derailment
of Southern Pacific Transportation Company Train No. 01-BSMFF-05, Carrying
Radioactive Material, at Thermal, California, on January 7, 1982
January
7, 1982
About
9:50 p.m., p.s.t., on Thursday, January 7, 1982, Southern Pacific
Transportation Company freight train No. 0l-BSMFF-05, derailed 14 cars at
Thermal, California, while traveling about 57 miles per hour on the tangent
single main track. Four transients riding on the train were seriously injured,
a fifth transient died as a result of injuries. No crewmembers were injured as
a result of the accident. The presence of radioactive material in the derailed
Trailer-On-Flat-Car train was discovered about 1 hour after the accident
occurred, resulting in the handling of the emergency response effort as a
serious radiological emergency. Contributing to misdirected emergency response
efforts was erroneous and conflicting information concerning hazardous material
on the train. Accurate information regarding the precise nature of the
radioactive material shipment was not available at the accident site until
about 5 hours after the derailment occurred; at that time radiological
emergency procedures were terminated. Damage was estimated to be about
$1,015,350.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the inadequate company evaluation of defect data which should have
indicated that the rail in the vicinity of the derailment was approaching
service life limit for main track use and the consequent failure of the company
to initiate an accelerated inspection program to detect incipient fatigue
fractures of the rail.
NTSB-RAR-
72-2
Derailment
of Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad Company’s Train No. 20 with
Resultant Fire and Tank Car Ruptures, Crescent City, Illinois - June 21, 1970.
June
21, 1970
Train
No. 20, an eastbound freight train of the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad
Company, consisting of a four-unit diesel-electric locomotive and 109 cars
derailed the 20th to the 34th cars, inclusive, at the west switch of the siding
in Crescent City, Illinois, at about 6:30 a.m. on June 21, 1970. Included in
the 15 derailed cars were nine tank cars loaded with liquefied petroleum gas.
During the derailment one of the tank cars was punctured, and the leaking
propane was immediately ignited, engulfing the other tank cars in the fire. A
series of explosions of the remaining tank cars occurred, beginning about 1
hour following the derailment, resulting in the injury of 66 persons and the
destruction of a number of buildings within the town of Crescent City.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the breaking of the L-4 journal of CB&Q 182544, the 20th car,
due to excessive overheating, which permitted the truck side to drop to the
track and derail the leading wheels of the car, The cause of the overheating
could not be determined.
The
cause of the initial fire was the puncturing of one tank during the derailment,
jumbling of the derailed cars, and the large volume of propane released which
immediately ignited and subjected the other tanks to impingement of fires.
NTSB-RAR- 72-1
Penn
Central Transportation Company Freight Train Derailment, Passenger Train
Collision with Hazardous Material Car,.Sound View. Connecticut, Oct. 8, 1970.
October
8, 1970)
At
8:50 p.m., October 8, 1970, Penn Central Transportation Company’s freight
train derailed near Sound View, Connecticut. Freight cars obstructed track in
the path of Penn Central passenger train. The passenger train struck the
freight cars, puncturing an LPG tank car designated as “empty.” The
derailed units of the passenger train passed through ignited gases from the
punctured tank car and crossed a railroad bridge. Train crewmembers and
passengers were injured. The Safety Board has determined that the probable
cause of the derailment of the freight train was the breakage of a truck side
of a car on the freight train which followed a progressive fatigue crack
failure. The breakage of the truck side resulted in damage to a turnout, which
caused derailment of the following cars. The cause of the collision to the
passenger train was the obstruction of track No. 2 by cars of the freight
train. The Board concluded industry controls to prevent application of improper
car components are inadequate, empty tank cars may be hazardous, and suggested
that the industry should incorporate crashworthy concepts, improve
communication and equipment design, and controls over maintenance, retirement,
and testing of equipment components. The Board requested that bridge standards
and joint corridor usage be reviewed.
NTSB-RAR-79-l
Derailment
of Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company’s Train No. 584 and
Subsequent Rupture of Tank Car Containing Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Waverly,
Tennessee, February 22, 1978.
February
22, 1978
About
10:25 p.m., on February 22, 1978, 23 cars of a Louisville & Nashville
Railroad Company train derailed at a facing point switch in Waverly, Tennessee.
At 2:53 p.m., on February 24, 1978, a derailed tank car containing liquefied
petroleum gas ruptured, releasing the product which ignited with an explosive
force. As a result, 16 persons died and 43 were injured; property damage was
estimated at $1,800,000.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
loss of life and substantial property damage was the release and ignition of
liquefied petroleum gas from a tank car rupture. The rupture resulted from
stress propagation of a crack which may have developed during movement of the
car for transfer of product or from increased pressure within the tank. The
original crack was caused by mechanical damage during a derailment, which
resulted from a broken high-carbon wheel on the 17th car which had overheated.
NTSB-RAR-76-1
Burlington
Northern Inc., Monomethylamine Nitrate Explosion, Wenatchee, Washington, August
6, 1974
Period
Covered
At
12:32 p.m. on August 6, 1974, a shipment of monomethylamine nitrate solution
(PRM) •detonated during routine switching operations in the Burlington
Northern Inc. Apple Yard in Wenatchee, Washington. The explosion killed 2
persons, injured 113, and destroyed equipment and buildings. Estimated losses
exceeded $7,500,000.
The
National Transportation Safety Board was unable to determine the probable cause
of the accident. A partial list of the possibilities that could not be ruled
out completely includes a reaction of dried crystals, a reaction of spilled or
leaking crystals in the insulation space, a reaction in one of the tank
components, cavitation and recompression of the solution, compression of an air
bubble- entrained in the solution, a reaction of solution or crystals
sensitized by contamination, or the ignition of escaped product by friction.
The Safety Board concludes that the classification of monomethylamine nitrate
as a “flammable solid” permitted shipment of the chemical without
proper safeguards against predictable hazardous conditions.
NTSB-RAR-73- 1
Hazardous
Materials Railroad Accident in the Alton and Southern Gateway Yard in East St.
Louis. Illinois, January 22. 1972.
January
22, 1972
At
about 6:20 a.m., on January 22, 1972, an overspeed tank car loaded with liquid
petroleum gas collided with a standing hopper car in the Alton & Southern
Railroad Company’s Gateway Yard in East St. Louis, Ill. In the overspeed
impact, an overriding coupler on the empty freight car punctured the tank head.
The pressurized propylene gas in the tank car leaked to the ground and
vaporized. A large vapor cloud was formed, which ignited and exploded. More
than 230 people were injured as a result of the explosion, and property damage
was estimated at more than $7_ million.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
overspeed impact was the failure of the retarding system in the hump
classification yard to decelerate effectively heavy cars with oil or grease on
their wheel rims the absence of a backup system to halt cars passing through
retarders at overspeeds; and the routine acceptance at the Gateway Yard of
uncontrolled overspeeds. Propylene leaked from the tank car because the tank
head was too weak to resist the impact of the overriding coupler of the hopper
car. Lack of specifications that define permissible impact and adequate crash
resistance was a contributing factor.
NTSB-RAR-75-7
Hazardous
Materials Accident at the Southern Pacific Transportation Company’s
Englewood Yard in Houston, Texas, September 21. 1914
September
21, 1974
About
noon on September 21, 1974 2 loaded “jumbo” tank cars, cars 17 and
18 of a 145-car complement, were uncou led as a unit at the crest of the
gravity hump in the Southern Pacific Transportation ompany s (SP) Englewood
Yard at Houston, Texas. The two cars passed through the hump master retarder
and group retarder without being slowed and accelerated as they moved down
16.Abstract 16.Abstract the grade into bowl track 1. At a s p eed of 18 to 20
mph, the two tan cars impacted an empty tank car. Upon impact, the coup1 er of
the emptytank car rode over the coupler of car 17 and puncture d the tank head.
Butadiene s
1
e
d from the car and formed a vapor cloud, which dispersed over the area. After 2
to 3 minutes, the varpor exploded violently; as a result, 1 person died and 235
were injured. Total damages amounted to about $13 million, which included the
destruction of 231 railroad cars and substantial damage to 282 others.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
overspeed impact was the failure of the retarding system to slow the two
coupled tank cars and the absence of a backup system to control cars which pass
through the retarders at excessive speeds. The failure of the retarding system
was caused by foreign substances on the wheels of the two cars that preceded
the two tank cars through the retarders.
Contributing
to the accident was the failure of the Southern Pacific Transportation Coin an
to enforce procedures to exclude cars with a foreign substance on their wheels
from the humping system, and the Shell Oil Company’ s failure, after
notification of the hazard, to eliminate spilled epoxy resin from the
flangeways of their track.
NTSB-RAR-
75-4
Hazardous
Materials Accident in the Railroad Yard of the Norfolk and Western Railway at
Decatur, Illinois, July 19.
1974.
July
19, 1974
GATX
41623 and four other tank cars loaded with isobutane gas were uncoupled at the
west end of Decatur Yard by a switching crew and allowed to free roll eastward
on yard track 11. The car impacted an empty boxcar, and its coupler overrode
the tank car coupler and punctured the tank. Isobutane escaped and vaporized
for 8 to 10 minutes before it exploded. The yard, surrounding residences, and
commercial facilities were damaged extensively by fire and shock waves. Seven
employees died from burns, and 33 employees were injured. Three hundred sixteen
persons outside the rail yard were also injured as a result of the explosion.
Property damage was estimated at $18 million,
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
accident was the overspeed impact between the heavy cut of tank cars and the
uncoupled light boxcar, which resulted from the release of the tank cars at a
higher-than-acceptable switching speed. The lack of written guidelines to
assist the switchman in determining the proper switching speed contributed to
the accident. The crewmembers’ lack of understanding of the risks
involved in switching hazardous materials also was a contributing factor.
Recommendations
were made regarding tank head shields and couplers, employee training,
hazardous materials accident data reporting, and regulations to limit losses in
hazardous materials accidents,
NTSB-RAR-76-8
Derailment
of Tank Cars With Subsequent Fire and
Explosion
on Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Company,
Near Des Moines, Iowa, September 1,
1975.
September
1, 1975
At
4:00 p.m. on September 1, 1975, 17 cars of a Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific
Railroad train, No. 81A31, derailed at the frog of a facing point switch on the
main line near Des Moines, Iowa. The train was descending a l-percent grade on
a 1-degree curve. Eleven of the derailed cars contained liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG). Fire and explosions ensued; the LPG was consumed and three persons were
injured.
The
National Transportation Safety Board could not determine the cause of the
initial derailment. The cause of the injuries and damages was the derailment of
cars at or near the frog of the turnout and the subsequent tankhead punctures
by disengage couplers of the derailed tank cars.
NTSB-RAR-81-1
Central
Gulf Railroad Company Freight Train Derailment, Hazardous Material Release and
Evacuation,
V
Muldraugh,
Kentucky, July 26, 1980
July
26, 1980
About
7:58 a.m., on July 26, 1980, 4 locomotive units and 17 cars, including 7
placarded tank cars containing hazardous materials, of Illinois Central Gulf
Railroad Company freight train No. 64 were derailed while moving at a
calculated speed of about 35 mph around a 60 curve in Muldraugh, Kentucky. Two
tank cars of vinyl chloride were punctured and their contents burned. Flames
impinged two other tank cars of vinyl chloride, causing one to vent toxic
fumes, but neither car ruptured. About 6,500 persons were evacuated from
Muldraugh and the U.S. Army installation at Fort Knox. Four train crewmembers
were injured during the derailment, and property damage was estimated at
$1,348,394.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
accident was the tipping of the outside rail and widening of track gage in the
60 curve because of the combined effects of defective crossties, excessively
worn rail, irregular alignment and gage, and the lateral forces produced by the
train’s speed. Inadequate maintenance and inspection practices of the
Illinois Central Gulf Railroad allowed these conditions to remain uncorrected.
Contributing to the accident was the inadequate Federal Track Safety Standards
which failed to provide for a track structure commensurate with the permitted
train speeds.
NTSB-RAR-79-l
1
Louisville
& Nashville Railroad Company Freight Train
I
Derailment
and Puncture of Hazardous Materials Tank
Cars,
Crestview, Florida. April 8; 1 979
April
8, 1979
About
8 a.m., on April 8, 1979, 29 cars, including 26 placarded tank cars containing
hazardous materials, of Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company freight
train No. 403 derailed while moving around a 40021 curve between Milligan and
Crestview, Florida. Two tank cars of anhydrous ammonia ruptured and rocketed.
Twelve other cars containing acetone, methyl alcohol, chlorine, carbolic acid,
and anhydrous ammonia ruptured, and their contents either burned or were
consumed by fire. Fourteen persons were injured as a result of the release of
anhydrous ammonia and other materials or during the evacuation of 4,500
persons. Property damage was estimated to be $1,258,500.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the large compressive force generated between the 36th and 37th
cars by a combination of excessive train tonnage and improper train handling
which caused the 36th car to overturn the outside rail of the 40˚02’
curve and derail. Contributing to the severe consequences of the accident was
the release of anhydrous ammonia and other hazardous materials, through
ruptures and punctures in the sides of the tank cars, which caused all of the
injuries and led to the evacuation of 4,500 persons from the area.
NTSB-HZM-79-3
Onscene
Coordination Among Agencies at Hazardous
Materials
Accidents.
Vlarch
31, 1977
Observations
of emergency response activities following a March 31, 1977, railroad accident
near Rockingham, North Carolina, prompted the National Transportation Safety
Board to initiate this special investigation of emergency response plans for
handling railroad accidents in which hazardous materials, including those
classified as radioactive, are involved.
While
the movement of hazardous materials through normal transportation channels is
of concern to Federal, State, and local Government agencies and to the public,
the transportation of radioactive materials is of special concern. For this
reason, special plans designed to cope with emergencies involving radioactive
materials have been developed at various levels of Government and by private
industry. These plans are the most comprehensive yet formulated for handling
hazardous materials emergencies, and they have served as models for many
nonradiological contingency plans. With the probable increase in the
transportation of radioactive and other hazardous materials by rail, the Safety
Board believes that all existing emergency response plans need to be critically
reviewed to determine their adequacy.
NTSB-RAR-78-8
St.
Louis Southwestern Railway Company Freight Train Derailment and Rupture of
Vinyl Chloride Tank Car, Lewisville, Arkansas, March 29, 1978
March
29, 1978
About
12:10 a.m., on March 29, 1978, 4 locomotive units and 43 cars of St. Louis
Southwestern Railway Company freight train SRASK derailed when they entered an
80
curve
in the wye track at Lewisville, Arkansas. The body of the 13th car struck and
ruptured the tank head of the 12th car, releasing vinyl chloride into the
atmosphere. The vinyl chloride subsequently ignited and buildings within a
1,500-foot radius of the ruptured car were damaged. About 1,700 residents of
Lewisville were evacuated. The engineer and two head brakemen were injured.
Property damage was estimated to be $2,189,000.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the failure of the engineer and other crewmembers to slow train
SRASK for the 10-mph speed restriction, through the wye track as required by
the railroad’s general orders. As a result of the train’s high
speed and consequent emergency brake application, the high rail in the curve
moved laterally, allowing the locomotive to derail, and subsequently turn over,
and the following cars to derail. The release and ignition of vinyl chloride
from the ruptured tank car caused extensive damage to the train equipment and
the adjacent industrial plant and buildings.
NTSB-RAR-78-4
Louisville
& Nashville Railroad Company Freight Train
Derailment
and Puncture of Anhydrous Ammonia Tank
Cars
at Pensacola, Florida, November 9, 1977
November
9, 1977
About
6:06 p.m., on November 9, 1977, 2 SD-45 locomotive units and 35 cars of
Louisville & Nashville freight train No. 407 derailed when entering a
6˚04’ curve at Pensacola, Florida. The adjacent tank heads of the
18th and 19th cars were punctured during the derailment by a loose wheel and
axle assembly; this released anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere. Two persons
died and 46 were injured as a result of the derailment, release of anhydrous
ammonia, and evacuation of about 1,000 persons. Property damage was estimated
to be $724,000.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the overturning of the high rail in the 6˚04’ curve
which caused track gage to widen. The high rail tipped because it was not able
to withstand the lateral forces generated by the 6-axle locomotive units
because of the tight gage of the track, and the forces generated because of the
placement of a lightly loaded long car and an empty short car directly behind
the locomotive with large trailing tonnage. The cause of the fatalities and
injuries was the release of anhydrous ammonia through punctures in the tank
cars; head shields would have prevented such punctures.
NTSB-RAR-77-2
Chicago
and North Western Transportation Company, Freight Train Derailments and
Collision, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, May 16, 1976
May
16, 1976
About
4:25 a.m. on May 16, 1976, the locomotive and 27 cars of Chicago and North
Western freight train No. 242 derailed as they moved eastward on a
l˚54’ to 2˚15’ compound curve just west of Glen Ellyn,
Illinois. Another CNW freight train, No. 380, was moving eastward on an
adjacent track at the time and struck the derailed cars of No. 242; the
locomotive and nine cars of train No. 380 derailed. The tank- head of train No.
380’s fifth car was punctured during the derailment by the coupler of an
adjacent car; this released anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere. Fourteen
persons were injured as a result of the derailment and release of the ammonia.
Damage from the accident was estimated to be $1,914,600.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the overturning of the outside rail of a l˚54’ to
2˚15’ compound curve because the rail was unable to withstand the
lateral forces of the locomotive induced by the speed of the train on track
which did not comply with Federal Track Safety Standards.
NTSB-RAR-
74-4
Railroad
Accident Report - Derailment and subsequent burning of Delaware and Hudson
Railway freight train
at
Oneonta,_New York, February 12, 1974.
February
12, 1974
This
report describes and analyzes a derailment which occurred when a train
separation resulted in unequal deceleration of the two parts of the train.
Unusual lateral forces at the rear of the third locomotive unit canted the
outside rail of a
30
30’
curve outward enough to allow the wheels to drop inside. A tank car of propane
was punctured and the ensuing fire impinged other tank cars and caused the
violent rupture of three of them. Fifty-four person were injured by the fire
and rocketing parts of tank cars.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this
accident was the inability of the track to resist the lateral forces which
canted the outside rail outward and widened the gage of the track. These forces
which were induced at the third locomotive unit resulted from the emergency
application of the brakes when the train was separated between the third and
fourth cars as it entered the
30
30’
curve. The train separated as a result of the broken center sill on the fourth
car.
NTSF-RAR-75-2
Southern
Pacific Transportation Co., Freight Train 2nd BSM Munitions Explosion, Benson,
Arizona, May 24, 1973.
May
20, 1973
On
May 24, 1973, Southern Pacific Transportation Company’s freight train 2nd
BSM 22, was approaching Benson, Arizona, when 1 of 12 munitions boxcars in the
train’s consist caught fire. The boxcars were loaded with 500-lb. MK 82
bombs. As the train stopped, the cargo exploded, and the explosions continued
for several hours.
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
accident was the exposure of heat-sensitive bombs in Car 38 to a fire inside
the car. The fire most likely originated from sparks off the brakeshoes which
ignited the sodium nitrate impregnated floorboards.
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