Hearing Set on Panhandle Train Collision

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled a hearing on a head-on train collision in the Oklahoma Panhandle.

The Feb. 26 hearing is to start at 9 a.m. in Washington, D.C.

The June 24, 2012, crash between eastbound and westbound Union Pacific trains near Goodwell killed three of four crewmembers on the two trains. A fourth crewmember was injured but survived after jumping from one of the trains just before the crash.

An NTSB preliminary report said the eastbound train was traveling at 64 miles per hour and the westbound train at 38 miles per hour when they slammed into each other. The speed limit is 70 miles per hour.

The NTSB has said it’s analyzing recorders found in the wreckage to determine if the crews were receiving signals properly.