View source for June 2009 Washington Metro train collision

{{short description|2009 public transit accident in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Northeast}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox public transit accident
| name                = June 2009 Washington Metro train collision
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| image               = June 22, 2009 WMATA Collision - NTSB accident photo 422860.jpg
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| caption             = [[NTSB]] photo of crash scene
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| coordinates         = {{Coord|38|57|37|N|77|0|21|W|region:US_type:event|display=inline,title}}
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| date                = {{start date and age|2009|06|22}}
| time                = 17:02 EDT (21:02 UTC)
| location            = Between [[Takoma (WMATA station)|Takoma]] and [[Fort Totten (WMATA station)|Fort Totten]], [[Northeast, Washington, D.C.]]
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| country             = United States
| line                = [[Red Line (Washington Metro)|Red Line]]
| operator            = [[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]]
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| type                = Train collision/[[Telescoping (rail cars)|telescoping]]
| cause               = [[Track circuit]] malfunction
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| trains              = 2 ([[Washington Metro rolling stock|2 six-car trains]])
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| deaths              = 9 (including a train operator)
| injuries            = Approximately 80
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During the afternoon [[rush hour]] of June 22, 2009, a [[Rapid transit|subway]] [[train wreck]] occurred between two southbound [[Red Line (Washington Metro)|Red Line]] [[Washington Metro]] trains in [[Northeast, Washington, D.C.]], United States. A moving train collided with a train stopped ahead of it; the train operator along with eight passengers died, and 80 people were injured, making it the deadliest crash in the history of the Washington Metro.
The [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB) investigation found that after a June 17 replacement of a [[track circuit]] component at what became the crash site, the track circuit had been suffering from [[parasitic oscillation]]s that left it unable to reliably report when that stretch of track was occupied by a train. The struck train came to a stop because of traffic ahead. Because the entire train was within the faulty circuit, it became invisible to the [[Automatic train control|Automatic Train Control]] (ATC) system. The train behind it was therefore commanded to proceed at {{convert|55|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. The operator of the striking train applied the emergency brake after the stopped train came into full view, but there was not enough time to prevent the collision, which occurred at approximately {{convert|49|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name=NTSBreport>{{cite web|title=NTSB Railroad Accident Report: Collision of Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail Trains Near Fort Totten Station|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR1002.pdf|author=NTSB|date=July 27, 2010|access-date=May 15, 2015}}</ref>
==Collision==
[[File:DC Metro Train Crash in 2009.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of emergency responders at the crash]]
[[File:June 22, 2009 WMATA Collision - NTSB accident photo 422857.jpg|thumb|NTSB and recovery teams working in the night following the collision]]
At approximately 4:57&nbsp;pm EDT (20:57 UTC) on Monday, June 22, 2009, Washington Metro Train 112, bound from [[Glenmont (WMATA station)|Glenmont]] to [[Shady Grove (WMATA station)|Shady Grove]], left the [[Takoma (WMATA station)|Takoma]] station.<ref name=Saslow>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/27/AR2009062702417.html?sid=ST2009062702498 |title=Three Minutes to Fort Totten | first= Eli | last = Saslow |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 30, 2009|date=June 28, 2009}}</ref> Minutes later at 5:02&nbsp;pm,<ref name="Malandain">{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jyFh57RAc4M0vxkxDschwl3i7UIg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701095157/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jyFh57RAc4M0vxkxDschwl3i7UIg |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 1, 2009 |title= Nine dead in Washington metro crash |agency=AFP|access-date=June 30, 2009|first=Lucile |last = Malandain |author2=Michael Mathes|date=June 22, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Reuters1">{{cite news|url = https://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN2252089220090622|last = Sullivan|first = Andy|title = Four Killed, 70 Injured in Washington Subway Crash.|publisher = Reuters|date = June 22, 2009}}</ref> Train 112 rear-ended Train 214,<ref name="MetroPress" /> which was stopped between the Takoma and [[Fort Totten (WMATA station)|Fort Totten]] stations while waiting for another train to leave the Fort Totten station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2622|title=Two Red Line Trains Collide, Six Fatalities|website=www.wmata.com|access-date=June 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626004141/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2622|archive-date=June 26, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nine people died, including the [[Motorman (locomotive)|operator]] in the lead car of the moving train, Jeanice McMillan, 42, of [[Springfield, Virginia]];<ref name="WashPost" /> at least 80 people were injured. The death toll makes the crash the deadliest in Metro history.<ref name = "WashPost">{{cite news | title = Nine Killed in Red Line Crash | author = Lena H. Sun | author2 = Lyndsey Layton | author3 = Debbi Wilgoren | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/23/AR2009062300653.html?hpid=topnews | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = June 23, 2009 | access-date =June 23, 2009}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/23/washington.metro.crash/index.html|title=Investigator: D.C. Metro crash 'a scene of real devastation'|publisher=CNN|access-date=June 23, 2009 | date=June 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Metro-Trains-Collide-Between-Takoma-Fort-Totten.html|title=One Killed in Metro Collision|date=June 22, 2009|publisher=[[NBC Washington]]|access-date=June 22, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8114003.stm|title=US subway trains in collision |date=June 22, 2009|work=BBC News|access-date=June 22, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1702179|title=2 dead after Metro train derailment, collision |date=June 22, 2009|work=wtop.com|publisher=[[WTOP-FM]]|access-date=June 22, 2009}}</ref>
The NTSB found that Train 214 had come to a stop entirely within the faulty circuit B2-304, making it effectively invisible to the automatic train control (ATC) system. Other trains had received speed commands of 0 when traveling through this circuit, but had enough forward momentum to make it to the next circuit and resume detection and receipt of speed commands from the ATC system. Train 214 was going slower than normal because it was being driven in manual mode by its operator, and it came to a stop while remaining on circuit B2-304 and was therefore invisible. Train 112 behind it was given full speed ({{convert|55|mph|km/h|abbr=on|disp=sqbr}}) commands by the ATC to proceed on the track. The investigation found that the emergency brakes had been applied by the operator of train 112 when train 214 came into view but it was too late to avert the collision, which occurred with a speed of about {{convert|49|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name=NTSBreport/>
A series of near-collisions in 2005 in similar circumstances in the tunnel between [[Foggy Bottom–GWU station|Foggy Bottom]] and [[Rosslyn station|Rosslyn]] stations led to a new test procedure that would have identified the faulty circuit after installation. By 2009, however, Metro engineers were unaware of this incident or the tests developed to detect the failure condition.<ref name=NTSBreport/>
=== Rolling stock involved ===
[[File:June 22, 2009 WMATA Collision - NTSB accident photo 439404.jpg|thumb|left|Car 5066 following the collision being investigated by the NTSB. This car was retired by WMATA and was used as a source of spare parts along with 5067 until all the 5000-series railcars were pulled from service in late 2018.]]
Train 112 (the moving train) was made up of cars 1079, 1078, 1071, 1070, 1130 and 1131—all from the [[Washington Metro rolling stock#1000-series|1000-series]]. Train 214 (the stationary train) was made up of cars 3036, 3037, 3257, 3256, 5067 and 5066, from the [[AnsaldoBreda|Breda]] [[Washington Metro rolling stock#3000-series|3000-series]] and the [[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles|CAF]] [[Washington Metro rolling stock#5000-series|5000-series]].<ref name="MetroPress">{{cite web |url=http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2624 |title=Tuesday Red Line service altered as a result of Monday collision |publisher=Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626054756/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2624 |archive-date=June 26, 2009 |url-status=dead|access-date=July 29, 2009 }}</ref> The cars are equipped with on-board systems called [[Automatic Train Operation]] and [[Automatic Train Control]], which allow autonomous operation with little human intervention.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 29, 1996 |title=Collision of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Train T-111 with Standing Train at Shady Grove Passenger Station, Gaithersburg, Maryland January 6, 1996 |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/rar9604.pdf |access-date=September 9, 2009 |work=Railroad Accident Report |publisher=[[NTSB]] |page=16}}</ref>
After the collision, [[Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority|WMATA]] announced a policy of no longer placing the 1000-series at the end of trainsets to prevent [[Telescoping (rail cars)|telescoping]] in a collision, as they were the weakest cars structurally.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/dc-streetcar-opening-still-months-away-but-plans-develop-for-next-phase-in-anacostia/2014/05/06/4f3f3cb4-d223-11e3-a6b1-45c4dffb85a6_story.html |title=D.C. streetcar opening still months away, but plans develop for next phase in Anacostia |last=Thomson |first=Robert |date=May 7, 2014 |access-date=May 8, 2014 |publisher=WashPost}}</ref> All 1000-series cars were then put in the middle of trainsets and served for another eight years until their retirement in June 2017.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
Cars 5066 and 5067 were not repaired and were instead used as parts sources to keep the 5000-series cars running until they were retired in 2018. The remains of car 1079 were brought to the Brentwood Shops where it was evaluated and was eventually scrapped there. Car 1078 was also not repaired and then was used as a parts source for to keep the other 1000-series cars running until they were retired in 2016.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}
==Response==
At 5:20&nbsp;pm, rescuers first entered car 1079, the lead car of train 112.<ref name=Saslow/> This car had [[telescoping (railway)|telescoped]] over the rear car of the stationary train, trapping many passengers who required rescue by emergency workers using ladders for access.<ref name="Reuters1" /> Survivors described the crash as "like... hit[ting] a concrete wall," with air clouded by smoke and debris, and panic among passengers when car doors did not immediately open.<ref name="CNN2">[http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/23/crash.witnesses/index.html Metro crash 'like we hit a concrete wall,' passenger says]. ''CNN.'' June 23, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.</ref>
Dennis Oglesby, a United States Army soldier, and Martin Griffith, an Army contractor and former Army soldier, who were in the lead train and were uninjured in the collision, helped passengers evacuate from their train, most of whom appeared to have minor injuries. Oglesby and Griffith then noticed that six to eight people from the other train had been ejected by the force of the collision and were more seriously injured. One person from the overtaking train had been thrown onto the roof of the stationary train and had suffered a severe head wound. Oglesby and Martin gave first aid to the more seriously injured victims until help arrived, and informed responding emergency personnel that the rails were still powered and needed to be shut down.<ref>Cox, Matthew, "[http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/08/army_metrocrash_082309w/ Soldiers jumped into action after D.C. crash]", ''[[Military Times]]'', August 23, 2009.</ref>
[[File:Crowds at Rhode Island Avenue station following 2009 WMATA collision 1.jpg|thumb|Evening rush hour commuters waiting to board shuttle buses at the [[Rhode Island Avenue – Brentwood (WMATA station)|Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood]] station on the evening of the collision]]
Immediately following the collision, [[firefighter]]s and [[paramedic]]s from [[District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services]] were dispatched to the [[Takoma (WMATA station)|Takoma Metro station]], and arrived at the location of the collision soon after.<!--Source: D.C. fire & rescue lieutenant speaking during televised press conference-->  D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin stated that the initial [[9-1-1]] emergency calls made the incident seem small, but after firefighters arrived on scene, they dispatched [[mass casualty incident]] teams. Within two hours, more than 200 firefighters were on-scene in response to the three-alarm incident.<ref name="GetThere2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120614035717/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2009/06/crash_response_causes_to_frict.html "D.C. Fire Chief: Firefighters Expected a 'Small Incident'."] ''The Washington Post.'' June 23, 2009.</ref> Rescuers worked through the night of June 22, using cranes and heavy rescue equipment to free trapped passengers and search for bodies.<ref name="WashPost" /><ref name="GetThere" />
Fire Chief Dennis Rubin initially confirmed four fatalities (including the train operator) and 74 injuries, 14 of which were considered moderate and 6 [[Medical state|critical]].<ref name="Foxnews1">[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,528203,00.html "4 Dead After Metro Trains Collide in Washington D.C."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625092710/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,528203,00.html |date=June 25, 2009 }} ''Fox News.'' June 22, 2009.</ref> Five of the dead were discovered in the wreckage and removed from the site of the collision on the morning of June 23, as cranes dismantling the wrecked trains revealed the bodies.<ref name="WashPost" /> Nine fatalities were eventually confirmed.<!---Those names are: Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, was the operator of the striking train. The rest were passengers: retired Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr., who headed the D.C. National Guard, and his wife Ann Wherley, both 62; Lavonda King, 23; Veronica DuBose, 29; Cameron Williams, 37; Dennis Hawkins, 64; Mary Doolittle, 59, and Ana Fernandez, 40. ---><ref name="WashPost" /><ref name="CNN" /> Jeanice McMillan, the train operator, died while attempting to stop the train and was later commended for her efforts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Metro driver called a hero who saved lives in crash - CNN.com |url=https://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/26/dc.train.driver/index.html |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=www.cnn.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-06-26 |title=Train operator in D.C. crash called a ‘hero’ |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna31568094 |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> Major General (ret.) [[David F. Wherley Jr.]] of the [[District of Columbia Air National Guard]] – known for deploying [[fighter jet]]s to defend Washington, D.C. during the [[September 11 attacks]] – died in the collision along with his wife, Ann; the other passengers who died in the crash were Lavonda King, Veronica DuBose, Cameron Williams, Dennis Hawkins, Mary Doolittle, and Ana Fernandez.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/23/washington.metro.crash.victims/index.html|title = Man killed in D.C. Metro crash ordered jets above Capitol on 9/11|publisher = CNN|date = June 23, 2009|access-date =June 27, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=DiMargo |first=Carissa |last2=Tuss |first2=Adam |last3=Anchor |first3=News4 |last4=Reporter |first4=Transportation |last5=Stabley |first5=Matthew |last6=Wilkins |first6=Tracee |last7=Reporter |first7=News4 Investigative |last8=staff |first8=NBC4 |last9=Press • • |first9=Associated |date=2019-06-20 |title=10 Years Later: Metro Crash That Killed Nine Was an ‘Unbelievable Nightmare' |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/10-years-later-metro-crash-remembered/149057/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=NBC4 Washington |language=en-US}}</ref>
According to [[Daniel Kaniewski]], a former George W. Bush administration Homeland Security official now with the Homeland Security Policy Institute at [[George Washington University]], the overall emergency response was "calm and ordered," indicating that U.S. emergency response "during extraordinary incidents [has] significantly improved" since the September 11 attacks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2009/0624/p02s21-usgn.html | title = Emergency response to Metrorail crash shows post-9/11 gains | author = Dave Cook | publisher = The Christian Science Monitor | date = June 23, 2009 | access-date =June 23, 2009 }}</ref>
===Service disruption===
[[File:Sign indicating Red Line delays.jpg|thumb|Delays continued on the Red Line the day after the collision, the "earlier situation" referred to on the Passenger Information Display System sign.]]
[[File:June 22, 2009 WMATA Collision - NTSB accident photo 422863.jpg|thumb|Clean up recovery of the wrecked cars following the collision. Red Line service was suspended between Fort Totten and Silver Spring until Saturday June 27.]]
Immediately following the incident, Red Line services were suspended between the [[Fort Totten (WMATA station)|Fort Totten]] and [[Takoma (WMATA station)|Takoma]] stations, and [[New Hampshire Avenue]] was closed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0609/634125.html |title=2 Dead, Many Injured in Red Line Train Collision |date=June 22, 2009 |work=ABC7 News |access-date=June 22, 2009 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624011908/http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0609/634125.html |archive-date=June 24, 2009 }}</ref> Service between the [[Silver Spring (WMATA station)|Silver Spring]] and [[Rhode Island Avenue – Brentwood (WMATA station)|Rhode Island Ave–Brentwood]] stations was suspended pending the completion of the initial investigation and the clearing of debris. This section was expected to remain shut down at least through June 23. Service was temporarily increased on the [[Georgia Avenue Limited Line|79]] and [[16th Street Limited Line|S9]] in response to the crash. Washington Mayor [[Adrian Fenty]] said that transportation "all along the East Coast will be significantly impacted,"<ref name="GetThere">{{cite news | title = Rescuers Still Searching Trains | author = Robert Thomson  | url = http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2009/06/rescuers_still_searching_train.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120614035709/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2009/06/rescuers_still_searching_train.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = June 14, 2012 | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = June 22, 2009 | access-date =June 23, 2009}}</ref> as [[Amtrak]] and [[MARC Train]]s run on tracks adjacent to the crash site. Bus services were deployed to route Metrorail passengers around the closed track, but area [[commuting]] was severely affected. The [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] urged its employees in the [[Washington Metropolitan Area]] to [[remote work]] on June 23 if possible.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120614035723/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2009/06/after_crash_feds_urge_telework.html "After Crash, Feds Urge Telework."] ''The Washington Post.'' June 23, 2009.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111218120832/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/2009/06/tuesday_commute_will_be_tough.html "Morning Commute Will Be Tough For Many."] ''The Washington Post.'' June 23, 2009.</ref> The Red Line was projected to be very crowded after resumption of service and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) advised people to take alternate bus routes. The replacement bus shuttle between the affected stations was expected to be subjected to long delays.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2626 |title=Wednesday Red Line service altered as a result of Monday collision |publisher=Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |date=June 24, 2009 |access-date=June 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627020924/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2626 |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Services were restored in both directions on Saturday, June 27, but with a reduced maximum speed of {{convert|35|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} on the entire Red Line, and slower speeds in the area of the collision.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2639 |title=Red Line resumes normal operations after Monday collision |work=About Metro |publisher=Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |date=June 27, 2009 |access-date=June 27, 2009 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628165046/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2639 |archive-date=June 28, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
== Aftermath ==
===Initial inquiry===
[[File:WMATA Fort-Totten-sb-arrive.jpg|thumb|A typical 1000-Series trainset similar to the moving train in the crash arriving at [[Fort Totten (WMATA station)|Fort Totten]]]]
Shortly after the incident, WMATA General Manager John Catoe stated that the cause was not known but that "the system is safe."<ref name=wsj>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124570674389438637?mod=googlenews_wsj D.C. Metro Trains Collide, Killing Four]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. June 22, 2009</ref> The [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB) began an investigation.<ref name="WashPost" /> WMATA and NTSB investigators considered several possible causes, which might include operator error, brake failure, fault in the [[Washington Metro signaling and operation|computerized signal and operation system]], or a combination of the three. During rush hour operation, train movement is typically controlled by a centralized computer system, and a separate decentralized system can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. These systems had failed at least once in the past, and the NTSB subsequently identified incompatible specifications, from the maximum deceleration capability of the trains to the deceleration rates used in the wayside system design.<ref>{{cite news |first=Lindsey |last=Layton |title=THE PROBE: Experts Suspect Failure Of Signal System, Operator Error |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/22/AR2009062203261.html? |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209101804/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/22/AR2009062203261.html |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |url-status=live|date=June 23, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Trouble in Tunnel Delaying Subway|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/13/AR2005061301564.html|access-date=June 22, 2009|date=June 14, 2005|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Lindsey|last=Layton}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=NTSB: Train's Emergency Brake Was On |url=http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/062309_ntsb_eyeing_standards_after_metro_crash |publisher=[[Fox Television Stations]], Inc |date=June 23, 2009 |access-date=June 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825172557/http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/062309_ntsb_eyeing_standards_after_metro_crash |archive-date=August 25, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>  The train has a manual emergency brake, which can be applied by the driver in the event of an imminent collision, if the driver can see and identify the hazard with sufficient time to stop. Officials indicated that the manual brake was indeed engaged.<ref name="WaPo0625">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/24/AR2009062400815.html |title=Probe Finds Metro Control 'Anomalies': Investigators Test Electronics Near the Scene Of Fatal Crash |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 24, 2009 |access-date=June 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601213036/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/24/AR2009062400815.html |archive-date=June 1, 2010 |url-status=live|first1=Lyndsey |last1=Layton |first2=Maria |last2=Glod |first3=Lena H. |last3=Sun }}</ref> It is possible that the brake system failed to perform as designed, or that the operator applied the brake too late.<ref name="WP">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/22/AR2009062203261.html Layton, Lindsey. "Experts Suspect Failure Of Signal System, Operator Error."] ''The Washington Post.'' June 23, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.</ref> The lead car of the moving train was two months overdue for scheduled brake maintenance.<ref name="WashPost"/> In a press conference the evening of June 22, Catoe stated that the last car on the stopped train was a [[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles|CAF]] [[Washington Metro rolling stock#5000-series|5000-Series car]] (car 5066), which entered service in 2001, and that the lead car on the moving train was a [[Rohr, Inc.|Rohr Industries]] [[Washington Metro rolling stock#1000-series|1000-Series car]]. WMATA later confirmed that all of the cars on the moving train were 1000-Series.<ref name="MetroPress" />
[[File:CAF 5139 at Branch Avenue Yard (side).jpg|thumb|A typical 5000-Series car similar to the stopped train in the crash at Branch Avenue Yard]]
The 1000-Series entered service in 1976 when the Metro system opened, and were refurbished and had their motors converted from DC to AC propulsion by [[Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie]] in the mid-1990s. In 2006, the NTSB cited the 1000-Series cars as "vulnerable to catastrophic telescoping damage and complete loss of occupant survival space in a longitudinal end-structure collision". It recommended refurbishment of the entire series after a 2004 collision at the [[Woodley Park (WMATA station)|Woodley Park]] station in which a 1000-Series Rohr car telescoped into another train.<ref name="CityPaper" /> In this case, NTSB's Hersman confirmed that, "the first car [of the striking train] overrode the rear car [of the struck train], and much of the survivable space on that first car of the striking train was compromised".<ref name="CNN"/> The NTSB called for the accelerated retirement of the 1000-Series cars, or urged that they be "retrofitted with [[crashworthiness]] collision protection that is comparable to [[Washington Metro rolling stock#6000-series|6000-Series car]] railcars."<ref name="NTSB">{{cite web|author=NTSB |title=NTSB Determines that the Operator's Failure to Apply Brakes Caused Washington Subway Collision in 2004 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |date=March 23, 2006 |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2006/060323.htm |access-date=June 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903001242/http://ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2006/060323.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, the 1000-Series cars lack data recorders that could be used in determining the cause of a crash.<ref name="WashPost" /> During the press conference, Catoe stated that he had "no basis to suspend the use of 1000-Series cars at this time",<ref name="CityPaper">[http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/06/22/old-questions-about-crashworthiness-of-metro-cars/#more-25361 DeBonis, Mike. "Old Questions About Crashworthiness of Metro Cars."] ''[[Washington City Paper]].'' June 22, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2009.</ref> but WMATA later announced a decision to stop using the 1000-Series cars as the lead or trailing units of any trains.<ref name="WT0626">{{cite web |url=http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/26/metro-orders-inspection-of-signal-circuit/ |title=Metro orders inspection of signal circuit | work = Washington Times |access-date=June 28, 2009| date=June 26, 2009}}</ref>
On June 24, WMATA issued a press release stating that the agency is "not likely to know the cause for several weeks or months as the investigation unfolds."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2626 |title=Wednesday Red Line service altered as a result of Monday collision |publisher=Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627020924/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2626 |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |url-status=dead|access-date=July 29, 2009 }}</ref> Twenty-four hours after the incident, the NTSB confirmed that evidence indicated that the emergency brake had been engaged by the operator. Additionally, the striking train was in automatic mode and so the on-board software should have stopped the train.<ref name="WP_NTSB_initial">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/24/AR2009062400815.html |title=Train Operator Apparently Hit Brakes Before Crash |last=Sun |first=Lena H. |date=June 24, 2009 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601213036/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/24/AR2009062400815.html |archive-date=June 1, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:WMATA inbound approach to June 22, 2009 collision site.jpg|thumb|Inbound approach to collision site]]
On June 25, NTSB tests of the {{convert|740|ft|adj=on}} long [[track circuit]] below the stopped train showed that it did not work correctly, failing to detect the presence of a test train that investigators had placed on it.<ref>{{cite news |title=Track Circuit in Metro Crash Didn't Work, NTSB Says |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afA2NXqddOrU |publisher=Bloomberg |author=Keane, Angela |date=June 25, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/us/02crash.html?hp|title=Equipment Was Repaired Days Before Train Crash|date=July 2, 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 2, 2009 | first=David | last=Stout}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=91910 |title=Source: Metro circuits were malfunctioning for five days |date=June 26, 2009 |publisher=[[Frederick News-Post]] |access-date=July 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627105542/http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?storyID=91910 |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Hersman said, "These circuits are vital. It's a signal system. It's providing information, authorization and speed commands to the following train," but stopped short of blaming them in this case.<ref name="WaPo0625"/> WMATA had replaced all 20,000 track circuit relays system-wide in 1999, after a component designed to last 70 years began failing after only 25 years in service, but the agency claims that none of the newer relays had failed prior to this event.<ref name="WashPost"/> WMATA ordered the inspection of all track circuits on its {{convert|106|mi}} of track after the NTSB test.<ref name="WT0626"/> On July 23, the NTSB announced that the track circuit at the crash site had been malfunctioning since 2007, 18 months prior to the collision, and WMATA has since found six other circuits within the system that have been behaving unusually. WMATA disabled each circuit that could not be immediately fixed and created an online circuit tracking system, similar to its elevator outage tracker.<ref>{{cite news|title=Circuit at Metro Crash Site Began Malfunctioning in Late '07, NTSB says |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072301575.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822201329/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072301575.html |archive-date=August 22, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2009 |first1=Lena H. |last1=Sun |first2=Lyndsey |last2=Layton |date=July 24, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
===NTSB report===
The [[NTSB]] report on the crash was released on July 27, 2010, and blamed a faulty track circuit, part of the automatic train control system, for causing the crash.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-27/fatal-washington-metro-crash-shows-need-for-u-s-transit-rules-ntsb-says.html|title=Fatal Washington Metro Crash Shows Need for U.S. Transit Rules, NTSB Says|publisher=Bloomberg|date=July 27, 2010|access-date=July 28, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/RAR1002.aspx|title=July 27, 2010 Railroad Accident Report – Collision of Two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail Trains Near Fort Totten Station Washington, D.C. June 22, 2009|publisher=NTSB|date=July 27, 2010|access-date=April 10, 2012}}</ref>  WMATA made a press release detailing changes on July 26 in anticipation of the release of the report.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=4579|title=Metro demonstrates safety commitment, compliance with NTSB recommendations, including replacement of 1000 series rail cars|publisher=WMATA|date=July 26, 2010|access-date=July 7, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714120820/http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=4579|archive-date=July 14, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
==Memorials==
[[File:Fort Totten Plaque.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A plaque that commemorates the victims of the collision at [[Fort Totten station]]]]
A plaque is located in Fort Totten's mezzanine that commemorates the victims of the crash.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}
On June 22, 2015, the sixth anniversary of the crash, the Legacy Memorial Park in honor of the victims was opened;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mayor.dc.gov/release/legacy-memorial-park-honoring-2009-metro-accident-victims-open-monday|title=Legacy Memorial Park Honoring 2009 Metro Accident Victims to Open Monday|work=dc.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/dc/2015/06/22/legacy-memorial-park-opens-dc/29098659/|title=Legacy Memorial Park honors victims killed in 2009 Metro crash|author=Stephanie Ramirez/WUSA 9 Staff|date=June 22, 2015|work=WUSA9|access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> ground was broken exactly one year previously by [[Mayor of Washington, D.C.|Mayor]] [[Vincent C. Gray]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dgs.dc.gov/page/dgs-legacy-memorial-park-project|title=Legacy Memorial Park Project|work=dc.gov|access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> The park features a memorial wall and nine inscribed sculptures, one in honor of each person who died in the crash. The sculptures were created by sculptor Barbara Liotta, and the memorial was designed by the firm of Hunt Laudi; the design is titled ''A Sacred Grove''.<ref name="dcist.com">{{cite web|url=http://dcist.com/2015/06/metro_memorial_piece.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105222931/http://dcist.com/2015/06/metro_memorial_piece.php|url-status=live|archive-date=November 5, 2017|title=At Legacy Memorial Park, A Community Remembers Victims of 2009 Metro Collision|work=DCist|access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref><ref name="bizjournals.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/03/metro-memorial-park-finally-coming-together-five.html|title=Metro Memorial Park finally coming together five years after tragedy|date=March 26, 2014|work=Washington Business Journal|access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> Representatives of victims' families and city government officials attended the dedication, but Metro officials did not.<ref name="wamu.org">{{cite web|url=http://wamu.org/news/15/06/22/six_years_after_deadly_accident_memorial_park_opens_to_remember_victims|title=Memorial Park To Red Line Victims Opens As NTSB Hearings Into Metro Death Begin|work=WAMU 88.5|access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> The park is located at the entrance to Blair Memorial Gardens, which is close to the site of the collision.<ref name="bizjournals.com"/>
The same week as the memorial dedication, the National Transportation Safety Board held hearings related to another fatal incident in the Metro system that happened earlier in 2015; the juxtaposition of the two events was noted by some commentators.<ref name="dcist.com"/><ref name="wamu.org"/>
On the third anniversary of the crash, NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman and Mayor Gray attended the unveiling of a plaque on the Charles A. Langley Bridge. The bridge crosses the rail tracks at the site of the crash, and a makeshift memorial had been maintained there by victims' families.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/209800/373/new-plaque-at-metro-crash-site-3-years-after-tragedy|title=Metro Crash Memorial Plaque Presented at Fort Totten Station 3 Years After Metro Rail Crash|work=wusa9.com|access-date=September 10, 2015}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name="washingtonexaminer.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gray-to-unveil-fort-totten-metro-crash-memorial-plaque-but-no-park-decision/article/2500388|title=Gray to unveil Fort Totten Metro crash memorial plaque but no park decision|work=Washington Examiner|date=June 20, 2012 |access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref> Another memorial plaque was installed by Metro officials at Fort Totten station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wjla.com/news/local/d-c-deadly-red-line-metro-crash-memorial-plaque-to-be-unveiled-77204|title=2009 Metro Red Line crash memorial unveiled|author=Sinclair Broadcast Group|work=WJLA|date=June 22, 2012 |access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Incidents on the Washington Metro]]
* [[November 29, 2009 Washington Metro train collision]]
* [[Wrong-side failure]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== Further reading ==
* {{cite web|title=Train operator in D.C. crash called a hero: Relatives, friends and colleagues honor 42-year-old in church service |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna31568094 |location=Washington, D.C. |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Associated Press |date=June 27, 2009 |access-date=June 28, 2009 }}
* {{cite news|title=The Metro Crash Shows Progress on Preparedness |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/27/AR2009062702257.html |author=Daniel Kaniewski |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 28, 2009 |access-date=July 31, 2015}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|June 22, 2009 Washington Metro train collision}}
{{Wikinews|Investigation into Washington D.C. Metro crash finds need for new safety rules}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131019122948/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8114415.stm Photographs from ''BBC News'']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130312230832/http://wmata.com/community_outreach/lunchtalk_online_chats/transcript.cfm?ChatID=192 LunchTalk chat with Metro Ceneral Manager John Catoe, July 2, 2009]
{{2009 railway accidents}}
{{Washington Metro}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Good article}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington Metro Subway Crash, June 22, 2009}}
[[Category:2009 disasters in the United States]]
[[Category:2009 in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving Washington Metro]]
[[Category:Railway accidents in 2009]]
[[Category:Railway accidents and incidents in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:June 2009 events in the United States]]
[[Category:Northeast (Washington, D.C.)]]
[[Category:Red Line (Washington Metro)]]