Sunday, April 30, 2023

Railfan & Railroad Magazines 2002-12 Issues!

Driver of truck in accident that killed NS conductor pleads not guilty

By | April 29, 2023

Man faces vehicular manslaughter charge from March 7 grade-crossing death in Cleveland

Diagram of grade-crossing accident — A diagram of the scene in the fatal March 7 accident involving a Norfolk Southern conductor in Cleveland. Google Earth with National Transportation Safety Board illustrations and notations

CLEVELAND — The driver of a dump truck involved in a Cleveland grade-crossing accident that killed a Norfolk Southern conductor has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter.

WOIO-TV reports driver Ryan Hundley entered the plea Thursday in an appearance in Cleveland Municipal Court. Bond was set at $10,000.

The March 7 accident occurred shortly after 1 a.m. at a grade crossing on the grounds of the Cleveland Cliffs steel plant. Conductor Louis Shuster was killed when struck by the dump truck as he rode a tank car during a shoving move at the plant; the preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report indicates the truck and train entered the crossing at the same time [see “Train, truck entered grade crossing simultaneously …,” Trains News Wire, March 22, 2023].

Shuster’s death, along with the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and other incidents, led the NTSB to announce a special investigation into Norfolk Southern safety practices later in the same day as the fatal accident [see “NTSB launches special investigation …,” News Wire, March 7, 2023]. The Federal Railroad Administration subsequently announced its own review of the railroad’s safety practices.

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Conrail C40-8 and Bulldozer at Leipsic 6/25/18

Disabled Plane Lands On CN Tracks In Michigan!

Canadian National line in Michigan becomes landing strip for disabled aircraft

By Steve Smedley | April 21, 2023

Pilot uninjured in emergency landing near Flint, Mich.

Airplane on railroad tracks — A small airplane made an emergency landing on CN tracks in Michigan on Thursday, April 20. Contributed photo

FLINT, Mich. — A single-engine aircraft made a forced landing on the double-track mainline of Canadian National Railway’s Flint Subdivision Thursday morning, April 20.

The pilot, the plane’s sole occupant, was uninjured in the landing near Linden and Bristol roads west of Flint. According to Michigan State Police, the railroad was contacted to immediately shut down traffic, and both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

The aircraft, a prop-driven Piper PA-28, had just taken off from Bishop International Airport when it developed engine problems and crash-0landed on the tracks here. The pilot, the sole occupant onboard was uninjured.

The line is part of the former Grand Trunk Western Railroad.

Plane Crashes Onto CP Tracks in Iowa!

Two escape injury when light plane crashes on CPKC main line in Iowa

By | April 23, 2023

Single-engine aircraft was attempting emergency landing on adjacent highway

Single-engine aircraft crashed on railroad track — Two people escaped serious injury when their light plane crashed onto CPKC railroad tracks Saturday in Buffalo, Iowa. Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department via Facebook

BUFFALO, Iowa — Two people suffered minor injuries early Saturday morning when their single-engine airplane crashed onto CPKC railroad tracks in Buffalo, WQAD-TV reports.

Responding to a report of a vehicle accident about 1:40 a.m. on State Route 22, officers from the Buffalo Police Department found a single-engine aircraft had crashed. The pilot was attempting to make an emergency landing on the highway, which closely parallels the railroad tracks, when the plane’s wing clipped a telephone pole, sending the plane onto the tracks. The pilot and a passenger were treated at the scene and released.

The Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department also responded (and said in a Facebook post that the aircraft accident was “a first”), as did the Scott County Sheriff’s Department.

Buffalo is just south of Davenport, Iowa, on the CPKC main line along the Mississippi River. The line currently sees about eight trains a day.

It was the second time in three days a light plane had ended up on railroad tracks while making an emergency landing. On Thursday, a plane landed on CN tracks near Flint, Mich. [see “Canadian National line in Michigan becomes landing strip …,” Trains News Wire, April 21, 2023].