NTSB: Engineer Of Amtrak Train 188 Was Not Using Phone At Time Of Derailment
By Tim Jimenez
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Investigators have released new information on the fatal Amtrak derailment, including a clearer picture of the engineer's cell phone use at the time of the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board released a statement, which says in part: The NTSB is conducting a detailed examination of the engineer's cell phone calls, texts, data and cell phone tower transmission activity records from the phone carrier; and records from Amtrak's on-board Wi-Fi system.
Analysis of the phone records does not indicate that any calls, texts, or data usage occurred during the time the engineer was operating the train. Amtrak's records confirm that the engineer did not access the train's Wi-Fi system while he was operating the locomotive.
PHOTOS: Amtrak Train Derailment
NTSB investigators performed tests in the Safety Board's Washington lab and worked with the phone carrier to make their determination.
Investigators say engineer Brandon Bostian's phone's operating system contains more than 400,000 files of meta-data. Last year the NTSB processed more than 40 cell phones, but the Safety Board says the analysis of the phone records in the Train 188 investigation has been "more complicated than anticipated," because of various systems that activity used by the phone carrier -- some of those systems based in different time zones.
Officials say the train was speeding, doing more than double the 50 mph limit at Frankford Junction when the fatal derailment occurred.
Bostian suffered a concussion. He cooperated with investigators, but says he couldn't remember what happened leading up to the crash that killed eight and injured around 200.
