Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

NTSB Investigates Amtrak Derailment

Aired July 30, 2002 - 06:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Dozens of people are still hurting this morning, after that Amtrak derailment near Washington. Six of the injured are in critical condition, and investigators are trying to find out exactly what caused the accident.

Our Kathleen Koch joins us live now with more from Kensington, Maryland -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, NTSB investigators have been pouring over the site of this derailment through the night. They will be continuing their work through the day today as well, obviously, trying to figure out just what happened here.

It was just before 2:00 p.m., as this train was coming into the Washington, D.C. area hitting Kensington, Maryland, the passengers say that the first of the 15 cars began to wobble a bit, and then they say everything just started flying.

Eventually, the six passenger cars ended up on their side, a couple of them down in a ravine. And some people for a period of an about an hour were trapped. Rescuers finally got them out.

Of the 161 passengers and the 12 crew on board, 97 people were injured, 6 of them critically and had to be hospitalized.

Now, the double-decker train was on its way from Chicago, Illinois to Washington, D.C., just about 10 minutes from its destination when this accident occurred. The NTSB has managed to get out the event recorder, sort of the same thing as an airplane's black boxes, and they have downloaded that information, trying to figure out what might have happened. Apparently, the engineer told NTSB investigators last night that just as they were approaching this stretch of track, that he saw the rail had heaved somewhat to the side, something called a heat kink, which NTSB Vice Chairman Carol Carmody says they'll be looking at very closely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL CARMODY, NTSB VICE CHAIRMAN: We know that it's possible with continuous welded rail, which is what this rail was. The heat continuous-welded rail, CWR, continuous -- we know that heat can be a factor, and can cause a slight misshaping or buckling in the rail. This is something that does happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: At this very same stretch of rail, however, it was very carefully inspected on Sunday, and inspectors found no problems with it.

Also, just 45 minutes before the Capitol Limited passed over this stretch of track, a freight train carrying some 91 tons passed over the same area with no problem whatsoever.

So the NTSB is going to be looking at a number of factors today, obviously the heat, which was over 90 degrees here with the humidity putting it up over 100. It's going to be just as hot here today, so very tough for investigators.

Another issue they'll be looking at is speed. At this point, all indications are that the train was not speeding, going only about 60 miles per hour, while the posted limit here, Anderson, is 70 -- back to you.

COOPER: All right, Kathleen Koch, thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.