NTSB aims to determine probable cause of fatal Amtrak accident

Aerial view of accident site in DuPont, Wash. | Photo courtesy of Washington State Police

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) plans to hold a board meeting May 21 at 1 p.m. (EDT), to determine the probable cause of the fatal, Dec. 18, 2017, Amtrak accident near DuPont, Wash.

Three passengers were killed in the 2017 accident and 65 others including passengers, crew and occupants of highway vehicles, were injured. Amtrak train 501 was traveling at 78 mph when it derailed from a highway overpass near DuPont, Wash., crashing into oncoming traffic.

The NTSB said in its January 2018 preliminary report regarding the accident that positive train control (PTC) could have prevented the over-speed condition.

The accident happened during the first regular passenger service trip on a single main track near milepost 19.86.

The lead locomotive, the power car and two passenger railcars derailed onto Interstate 5, and eight highway vehicles came into contact with the derailed equipment, NTSB said in a statement.

Previously released information about the accident investigation is available here.