The Metrolink engineer involved in a lethal rail disaster in Chatsworth previous slide not only authorized unauthorized rail fanatics to at times trip in his taxi, but on at the very least 1 situation permit a teenager get the controls. And he prepared to do it once again on the working day of the crash, data display.
The conduct, a critical violation of protection laws, was disclosed Tuesday in a series of cellphone text messages presented as proof in a Nationwide Transportation Protection Board hearing on the collision.
As the listening to progressed, NTSB investigators grilled railroad officials about what they did to detect and prevent the engineer’s harmful carry out and lifted issues about no matter if the cluster of apparent violations of basic safety procedures was an isolated circumstance. “I frankly come across that tricky to feel,” reported NTSB member Kathryn O’Leary Higgins, who is chairing the two-day inquiry in Washington, D.C.
Two times right before the crash, engineer Robert M. Sanchez exchanged e-mails with the “rail enthusiasts” — adolescents, in accordance to resources — talking about a trip-along that apparently took position the evening just before. The messages reveal a single of the riders was “up in the cab” and “touching the controls.” Sanchez commented on how significantly just one enthusiast “wanted to keep in the seat.”
Sanchez despatched a text concept that working day arranging an additional journey-along with one of the unidentified rail buffs, declaring, “this time I’m having a photo of you @ da throttle!!!”
Messaging another prospective rider about a journey planned for the night of the Sept. 12 crash, Sanchez wrote: “yea . . . but I’m Definitely seeking forward to getting you in the taxi and showing you how to operate a locomotive.”
That recipient, also unknown, responded: “Omg [oh my God] dude me much too. Jogging a locomotive. Acquiring all of that in the palms of my hands. Its a excellent emotion. And sick do it so superior from all my apply on the simulator.”
Sanchez answered: “I’m gonna do all the radio talkin’ . . . ur gonna run the locomotive & I’m gonna convey to u how to do it.”
The Times described very last week that textual content messages indicated Sanchez experienced enable rail lovers experience in locomotive cabs, but discussion facts introduced Tuesday also show that he tried to deal with it up.
“I’m heading to have to swear you to secretcy on this. not a word to any individual when we do. sorry but it requirements to be that way” Sanchez messaged.
The recipient responded: “My lips are # sealed. Not a term will be spoken. You have my word on it.”
In the Chatsworth crash, Sanchez failed to quit at a red sign and hit a Union Pacific freight educate head-on. Alongside with Sanchez, 24 travellers were being killed and 135 hurt.
Three days right before the crash, officials with Connex Railroad, which provides Metrolink crews, identified as Sanchez on the carpet for jogging a practice four minutes late, in accordance to testimony. Though supervisors had warned Sanchez about improper cellphone use on two former situations, the matter did not appear up all through the “counseling” session, testimony shows. Later on that night, officers claimed, Sanchez permitted yet another experience-along.
Metrolink officers mentioned they experienced only a single previous report of an unauthorized particular person in the taxi of a coach, but that was when Amtrak presented crews. In a assertion, Connex said Sanchez’s actions have been “repugnant” and “contrary to the most basic principles of rail procedure.”
“This rogue behavior was uncharacteristic of the Robert Sanchez recognised to his co-workers, supervisors, friends and neighbors as a committed occupation railroad engineer,” the statement claimed.
Investigators also observed that the conductor on the Union Pacific freight prepare had used his cellphone 41 instances while on obligation that working day and sent a text concept a couple of minutes just before the crash, which he survived along with the rest of that train’s crew. The freight conductor also examined favourable for marijuana, records and testimony clearly show.
Higgins expressed alarm at the evidence of severe principles violations. She mentioned that Sanchez and conductor Robert Heldenbrand had been viewed as valuable, above-typical workers by their supervisors. She also noted that Connex claimed it had a rigorous testing plan.
“I’m acquiring issues reconciling these two,” Higgins informed Connex officials.
Cellphone use by teach crews “is a countrywide challenge,” Higgins mentioned. “I am wanting for approaches for dealing with this. I really do not want to have yet another 25 people die in advance of we deal with this trouble. This was 1 day, a person prepare, one crew. It raises for me the concern of what the heck else is heading on out there?”
Tom McDonald, Connex’s typical manager in Los Angeles, reported the agency has increased screening of Metrolink personnel tactics and employed further supervisors. The enterprise claimed it performs 1,000 random basic safety-associated exams for every month to make improvements to compliance with procedures.
But McDonald added, “There is not a lot we can do. We have 145 trains operating a working day. If an staff is not cooperating, it is hard. But we have stepped up our game.”
Rick Dahl, a Connex supervisor, explained Sanchez was initial warned about violating rail plan in 2006 when inspectors carried out a shock exam and discovered that his cellphone was turned on inside a personalized bag on the train. Yet another supervisor experienced termed Sanchez’s cellular phone and it rang. “I informed the engineer that he was in violation of plan,” Dahl claimed.
Dahl explained he warned Sanchez a second time the thirty day period in advance of the crash adhering to a complaint by Heldenbrand, the conductor who frequently worked with Sanchez. Heldenbrand — who survived the Chatsworth crash — experienced observed the engineer utilizing a cellphone though stopped at a station in August. The conductor explained to Dahl he experienced confronted Sanchez, who replied that he was employing the cellphone for “union organization.”
“I did an immediate abide by-up with the engineer,” Dahl claimed, introducing that he reviewed cellphone plan with Sanchez. Dahl stated he did a pair of comply with-up observations of Sanchez in the adhering to two weeks and concluded the make a difference.
But in the two several years pursuing the 2006 cellphone violation, Connex officials under no circumstances did a a further surprise take a look at by calling his cellphone whilst he was in the taxi, Dahl acknowledged underneath questioning.
Tuesday’s testimony also confirmed that Sanchez experienced adequately known as out by radio a yellow flashing signal approaching the crash web-site. As a security precaution, engineers are necessary to radio the colour of all alerts and conductors are essential to validate any signals necessitating the coach to slow or prepare to quit.
But there was no evidence the conductor verified the warning to prepare to stop as needed, according to federal officers. There also is no documentation demonstrating the crew verified a next sound yellow signal, indicating the following mild may perhaps be crimson, officers stated.
Heldenbrand told investigators that he and Sanchez radioed every other that the final gentle was green, not crimson. There is no document of that exchange possibly.
In the former two and fifty percent a long time, Sanchez was examined lots of instances and his signal calling was specified “above average” and he was deemed a “valuable staff,” Dahl mentioned. He additional that the engineer did fail signal-announcing checks two times, but recommended that was a minimal price.
Heldenbrand “had under no circumstances unsuccessful a test” in the preceding two and 50 percent several years, Dahl explained. NTSB investigators requested that people tests information be generated.
Federal investigators and Metrolink officers mentioned the trackside sign system was performing thoroughly just before the incident transpired. Sanchez had a lot of time to respond to what exams present was a pink light directing him to prevent and wait around for the Union Pacific freight train to move, Metrolink officials testified.
The standing of the sign has been a point of dispute.
The Periods has claimed that 4 witnesses, including Heldenbrand, claimed the remaining signal appeared environmentally friendly. But Higgins mentioned evidence collected by NTSB investigators showed the sign was pink.
For the duration of questioning, Higgins tried using to reconcile the discrepancies between the signal tests and the witnesses’ statements. “We have a conflict listed here,” she informed the two officials symbolizing Metrolink. “Signals are essential to what transpired in this incident.”
She noted that Sanchez still left the Chatsworth station, accelerating to a pace that would be dependable with a environmentally friendly light-weight.
In addition to whether the final signal was inexperienced or red, there has also been some dispute as to no matter whether that sign is visible from the Chatsworth station system.
Dahl claimed a examination soon after the crash confirmed that a inexperienced light was visible from the locomotive and the system. But Higgins mentioned that when she stood on the station system all through the incident investigation, she couldn’t see the sign, which is a mile up the observe. Federal investigators described that the crimson light could not be seen obviously until finally the Metrolink educate moved 950 ft nearer to the sign from the station.
Metrolink’s Howard E. Cox claimed he experienced never obtained complaints from engineers about the visibility of the sign north of the Chatsworth depot.
robert.lopez@latimes.com
loaded.connell@latimes.com
Situations staff writer Dan Weikel contributed to this report.
