Late night head on crash at Disney World.
Ralph
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090705/ap_on_re_us/us_disney_monorail_crash
21 year old operator killed.
Raw video from the local TV station.
Ralph
Surprising.
But then, anything we make is prone to go haywire sometime.
The raw video is pretty eerie. I was standing right there about the same time of day not too many weeks ago. That and the office muzak is playing “Wish Upon A Star” as I post this.
Lucky for Disney that no public was in the cab. They do (or did) allow one or two persons to ride up front with the operator. I wonder if the cab on the other train was empty, which it would be if both trains were traveling the same direction.
Since they called it a head-on, one operator injured, one DOA, I wonder if the line isn’t out and back?
I just looked at the map.
It is a point to loop.
Jon Radder said:I'd say that qualifies as a "Twighlight Zone" moment. So far Disney isn't talking. They won't even confirm if the Monorail is computer or operator controlled. I wonder if the Monorail is classified as an amusement ride. The NTSB bailed out quickly. Could be they had no authority. Ralph
The raw video is pretty eerie. I was standing right there about the same time of day not too many weeks ago. That and the office muzak is playing "Wish Upon A Star" as I post this.
Looks like the anti-climber didn’t work.
http://www.firelink.com/news/articles/7823-disneyland-crash-of-monorail-kills-1
So, what is it?
A head-on or a rear-ender?
Curmudgeon said:
http://www.firelink.com/news/articles/7823-disneyland-crash-of-monorail-kills-1So, what is it?
A head-on or a rear-ender?
Hard to say from the photos. The front and back end are identical ion appearance, and maybe they both have controls.
I’m trying to remember, but I’m pretty certain that in the station where the accident occurred the line is double track, one in each direction. I can’t remember if the entire line to Epcot is double track, but I’m pretty sure it is. The line ends at (or near) the Transportation Center station, and there is a loop around the big ball in Epcot just beyond the Epcot station. I don’t know how they change tracks / direction beyond the Transportation Center.
I’m guessing it was a rear-end collision from what I remember of teh operation.
Morning paper, NTSB has officially weighed back into this.
There was a switching error…supposedly the empty one was to be switched into maintenance, and it didn’t happen.
As of this morning, the NTBS announced they would be investigating.
They have no authority to issue fines or to make Disney change any policies or procedures.
Here is the scoop on how the monorail operates from a former employee.
“Each train in the monorail system is run manually by the operator and must keep roughly 300 yards apart from each other. If a train gets too close to another, the train will automatically shut down and the operator will be replaced at the next stop, said Joseph Humphrey, a 30-year-old former Walt Disney World monorail operator, who stopped working at the resort in 2004.”
There is an overide switch, as well as an emergency stop.
Even with a switching error, the monorail should have stopped.
Ralph
Did some checking, as simply accusing the operator didn’t sit right.
Scenario appears as thus:
Oh-dark-thirty.
Main terminal.
Three “tracks”.
Unit 1 pulled forward from the station to clear the “switch” and allow Unit 2 to pull into station to unload.
Unit 2 obtains permission to pull into main station from Head (only) Dispatcher, who is on-scene.
Unit 1 asks permission to back onto second track in preparation for pulling into maintenance shed for the night.
Dispatcher asks Maintenance, a long way away, by radio if “switch” has been thrown to allow backing move to second “track”.
There are no catwalks available to get out and visually confirm position of switch from the train, nor to walk to the controls at the opposite end.
There is no passage from car to car, just some mirrors for the head-end guy to view what is happening…in the dark…in a swamp…on a curve…with minimal lights.
Maintenance confirms “switch” is thrown.
At this time, Unit 1 begins backing, overriding safeties as is normal, limited to 15 MPH.
Unit 2 begins pulling into main station.
Unit 2 stops at station, and whether or not he had sequenced the 30-second door opening process or not is unknown at this time.
However, he looks up and sees, coming out of the dark, swampy night with minimal lights, Unit 1 at 15 MPH.
So, it was not a head-on.
It was technically not a rear-ender, either, rather a front-ender.
The 21 year old had dispatcher permission to be where he was.
The 21 year old was legally parked at the time he was hit.
The operator of Unit 1 was legally moving backwards, at the designated speed, with dispatcher permission, after confirmation from Maintenance was received that the “switch” was thrown.
Something got screwed up somewhere.
Maybe an improper signal indication in Maintenance.
Now, instead of blaming the operator, let’s wait and see what falls out the bottom of the official investigation.
I don’t have enough information to blame anybody.
The former operator stated that one of two things happened for the monorails to collide.
A. Computer failure
B.Computer is overridden.
Overriding safeties is normal procedure?
Just my opinion, but if this is true either the safety system was poorly designed or not functioning as designed.
Ralph
We did the back shop Disney World train tour about 10 years ago. Really a worthwhile experience. I was given the impression, at that time, that all the trains were operated under the NTSB. I’m surprized it is no longer that way. I’m sure OSHA will have a full investigation.
Interesting that 15 mph would do that kind of damage. Also interesting to remember what the cab of the monorail was like. I’d say the operator was quickly trapped in the compartment, unable to get out. At 15mph, it would seem the backing up monorail would have been able to push to other one backwards. Maybe safety appliances prevented that and actually contributed to the problem by locking the brakes.
As I recall from our cab ride last February it would seem to me that the operator got trapped pretty quickly. These are very lightweight fiberglass(?) cars we are talking about and that much damage doesn’t surprise me at all. Then again I may be wrong. I’ve not done the backshop tour but would like to someday. Glad it only happened at night when traffic was light.
Chas
NTSB preliminary report (compare to my last post):
http://thedisneyblog.com/2009/07/08/ntsb-releases-preliminary-statement-on-monorail-accident/
And more…apparently he did try to back up…
Dave,
Looks like your information was pretty straight up.
Also looks like there were multiple human errors, though none by the victim.
The fact that they state there was no error in the collision avoidance system indicates they were overridden.
If they override the system in the station, what is the point of having the system?
It would seem to me that stations would be where the greatest risk of collision would occur.
Ralph