MARCH 24, 2015
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The National Transportation Safety Board today issued its final report
on the Feb. 20, 2014 accident in Jesup, Ga., in which a crew member was
killed during the filming of a motion picture. The Board found that the
probable cause was the film crew’s unauthorized entry onto CSX
Transportation’s right-of-way to film at the Altamaha River Bridge,
despite CSX’s repeated denial of permission.
The release of the report came during the first day of a two-day NTSB forum, Trains & Trespassing: Ending Tragic Encounters, which explores the dangers of trespassing on railroad property. The train was traveling at 56 mph in a 70 mph zone when it struck a prop bed that was to be used in the movie that had earlier been placed across the tracks. Debris from the bed struck some crew members on the bridge walkway. One film crew member was killed and six others were injured. Contributing to the accident was the adjacent property owner’s actions to facilitate the film crew’s access to the bridge and the CSX right-of-way. “Americans have a longstanding affinity with railroads and railroad tracks,” said NTSB Board Chairman Christopher A. Hart. “But train tracks are private property and are dangerous places where trains kill and injure hundreds of people every year.” According to Operation Lifesaver, rail trespassing deaths surged 22 percent last year. //--------------------------------------------// Film Crew Trespassing on CSX Right-of-WayExecutive Summary
On
February 20, 2014, about 4:30 p.m. eastern standard time, a crew of at
least 12 people was filming a movie scene on a railroad bridge
near Jesup, Georgia, when northbound CSX Transportation (CSX)
freight train Q12519 approached. As the train passed the film crew’s
location on the bridge, it struck a prop—a metal-framed bed. Debris from
the prop struck some crewmembers on the bridge walkway. One film
crewmember was killed, and six others with injuries were transported
to local hospitals. The accident occurred in the CSX Nahunta
Subdivision at milepost A543.7 on the railroad bridge across the
Altamaha River.
At the time of the accident, the train was operating on a single main track, with 2 locomotives and 37 freight cars. The train was traveling about 56 mph, in a region of track having a maximum authorized speed of 70 mph. The sky was clear, and the temperature was 80°F. Probable Cause
The
National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause
of the accident was the film crew’s unauthorized entry onto the CSX
Transportation right-of-way at the Altamaha River bridge with personnel
and equipment, despite CSX Transportation’s repeated denial of
permission to access the railroad property. Contributing to the accident
was the adjacent property owner’s actions to facilitate the film crew’s
access to the right-of-way and bridge.
The full report can be found here: http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/rab1501.aspx |