NTSB: Amtrak 188 Engineer Didn’t Use Cellphone Before Crash
In an update on Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that there is no evidence that engineer Brandon Bostian was using his phone for talking, texting or downloading data leading up to the now-notorious May 12, Amtrak 188 derailment that killed eight and injured over 200.
No records were found of Bostian logging into the train’s proprietary Wi-Fi, either. Bostian cooperated with investigators, allowing them to access his phone through his password and eliminating the need for investigators to go through his cellphone carrier.
While NTSB has ruled out conventional phone usage, they’re still investigating to make sure Bostian wasn’t using an offline app or other device.
While it was found the train reached 106 mph before the crash, investigators stated Bostian slammed on the breaks just seconds before the accident, although the train was still traveling at over 100 mph at the moment of derailment.
