NTSB -- UPDATE: NTSB'S INVESTIGATION OF THE METROLINK, UNION PACIFIC ACCIDENT IN CALIFORNIA

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NTSB ADVISORY

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

October 1, 2008

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UPDATE: NTSB'S INVESTIGATION OF THE METROLINK, UNION PACIFIC

ACCIDENT IN CALIFORNIA

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The following is an update of the NTSB's investigation of

the September 12, 2008 accident in Chatsworth, California

involving a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific

freight train. As a result of the head-on collision, there

were 25 fatalities and numerous injuries.

Information regarding the Metrolink engineer's cell phone

activity on the day of the accident was obtained from his

service provider under subpoena from the NTSB. As part of

the ongoing investigation, this information is being used to

determine the timing of cell phone activity, which includes

text messaging to and from the engineer's cell number, in

relation to the engineer's duty hours and train operations.

Although the precise timing and correlation of these events

is still underway at the Safety Board's Recorder Laboratory,

preliminary information is being released regarding the

approximate cell phone activity during the engineer's duty

hours on the day of the accident.

On the day of the accident, the Metrolink engineer was on

duty for two periods of time. The engineer was responsible

for the operation of a train from 6:44 am until 8:53 am.

During this period of time, the engineer's cell phone

received 21 text messages and sent 24 text messages.

He was then off duty until 2:00 pm. The engineer was

responsible for the operation of Metrolink train 111 from

3:03 pm until the time of the accident. During this time

period, the engineer's cell phone received 7 text messages

and sent 5 text messages. According to the time on the cell

phone provider's records, the last text message received by

the engineer's phone before the accident was at 4:21:03 pm,

and the last text message sent from the engineer's cell

phone was 4:22:01 pm.

A preliminary estimate for the time of the accident,

according to the Union Pacific train's onboard recorders, is

4:22:23 pm. The Safety Board's Recorder Laboratory is

continuing to correlate times recorded for use of the

Metrolink engineer's cell phone, train recorder data, and

signal system data to a common time base.

"I am pleased with the progress of this major investigation

to date," Acting NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said today.

"We are continuing to pursue many avenues of inquiry to

find what caused this accident and what can be done to

prevent such a tragedy in the future."

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NTSB Media Contact: Terry N. Williams

(202) 314-6100

williat@xxxxxxxx

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