PRELIMINARY REPORT: WMATA SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL ARCING ACCIDENT IN WASHINGTON, DC
Executive Summary
The information
in this report is preliminary and will
be supplemented or corrected during the course of the investigation.
On January 12, 2015, about 3:15 p.m. eastern
standard time, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail
train 302 stopped after encountering an accumulation of heavy smoke while
traveling southbound in a tunnel between the L’Enfant Plaza Station and the
Potomac River Bridge. After stopping, the rear car of the train was about 386
feet from the south end of the L’Enfant Plaza Station platform.
A following train, stopped at the L’Enfant
Plaza Station at about 3:25 p.m., and was also affected by the heavy smoke.
This train stopped about 100 feet short of the south end of the platform.
Passengers of both trains, as well as passengers on the station platforms, were
exposed to the heavy smoke.
Both Metrorail trains involved in this
incident consisted of six passenger cars and were about 450 feet in length. As
a result of the smoke, 86 passengers were transported to local medical
facilities for treatment. There was one passenger fatality.
Figure 1. Damage from the arcing
incident in the tunnel near L'Enfant Plaza Station.
NTSB investigators have inspected the area of
the incident, where they observed severe electrical arcing damage to the third
rail and electrical cables about 1,100 feet ahead of train 302. Recorded data
shows that at about 3:06 p.m., an electrical breaker at one end of a section of
third rail tripped (opened). At about 3:16 p.m. the WMATA Operations
Control Center (OCC) began activating ventilation fans in an effort to exhaust
smoke from the area. The electrical breaker at the other end of the third rail
section remained closed; supplying power until the WMATA OCC remotely sent a
command to open the breaker at about 3:50 p.m.
Figure 2. Damage from the arcing
incident in the tunnel near L'Enfant Plaza Station.
NTSB investigators are reviewing maintenance
records of track, signal and power inspections, and railcar vehicles;
documentation on previous events with smoke generation; maintenance and repair
records of the tunnel exhaust fan/ventilation operations; WMATA emergency
response and evacuation plans; and employee training records. Investigators
have also collected material samples from the incident site and are examining
the samples at the NTSB Materials Lab. In addition, NTSB investigators are
currently conducting interviews with personnel involved, and have begun the
collection and review of all available surveillance video.
The NTSB has formed
the following technical investigative working groups:
·
Operations
·
Survival Factors
·
Fire Science
·
Signal and Power
·
Track
·
Civil Engineering/Infrastructure
·
Mechanical/Equipment
·
Recorders
The NTSB
Transportation Disaster Assistance Division is assisting WMATA in their support
of the accident victims.
Parties to the investigation include: the Federal Transit
Administration, Tri-State Oversight Committee, Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.