Disney Monorail Fatality Investigation Delayed

[WDWKOOK]

Disney Monorail Fatality Investigation Delayed

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:50:21 PM

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The investigation into the July fatal monorail crash at Walt Disney World will not be completed as soon as thought.

One train slammed into another at the Transportation and Ticket Center killing monorail driver Austin Wuennenberg.

It is now expected to take nine months to a year to have the investigation completed. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to have its investigation completed within four to six months.

A representative for the board says the lead investigator is handling other investigations.

 

[Dznefreek]

Another thought that I know will be unpopular on this board.
When Austin realized he was going to be hit why didn't he just jump out of the cab. I am sure WDW would have rather had a busted monorail than a deceased CM and yes I know know none of us will ever really know what went on. . . . . . .
Go go gadget flame suit. . . . . .

 

[ConcKahuna]

Another thought that I know will be unpopular on this board.
When Austin realized he was going to be hit why didn't he just jump out of the cab. I am sure WDW would have rather had a busted monorail than a deceased CM and yes I know know none of us will ever really know what went on. . . . . . .
Go go gadget flame suit. . . . . .

1) I'm not sure if the doors would even open while the vehicle is in motion

2) The 40' fall at 45 MPH would have probably done the job anyways

3) He would have had almost no warning that he was about to collide with the other vehicle, and probably wouldnt have had time to jump from the vehicle even if he had thought of it. Most people dont think of jumping out of cars before accidents either.

 

[zulemara]

his first thought was to back up and that's what he tried to do. Unfortunately, the way the switch is designed, if you are in forward and start rolling backwards too far, the train does an E stop and locks up on you. What I've been told is that he was rolling forward and flipped the switch into reverse. However, since he was rolling forward with the switch now in reverse, he E Stopped and couldn't move the train. That process likely took quite a few seconds of his last seconds alive. I'm also not sure if the door will open while in motion. I'll ask someone that. Note: this information about the E Stop is only what I've been told and is not official information.

My thought was why didn't he call on the radio or honk the horn? My answer is probably because his first thought was to reverse and by the time he did and got locked, it was basically too late for a radio call, but again, that's my theory, not fact.

 

[Dznefreek]

Most people dont think of jumping out of cars before accidents either

Most cars aren't rolloing slowly long a platform. . . .not really a fair comparison.

 

[zulemara]

Most cars aren't rolloing slowly long a platform. . . .not really a fair comparison.

the accident occurred outside the platform

 

[ConcKahuna]

the accident occurred outside the platform

And he wasnt rolling slowly if the impact was hard enough to crush the cab and kill him either.

 

[ChrisFL]

And he wasnt rolling slowly if the impact was hard enough to crush the cab and kill him either.

Depends on what you mean by slowly...the monorails have a LOT of weight so even a low-speed collision could cause a lot of damage.

It's like 2 Semis colliding, 10-15 mph is enough to do a lot of damage

 

[fairestoneofall]

And he wasnt rolling slowly if the impact was hard enough to crush the cab and kill him either.

He was HIT by the other monorail. So, his speed isn't really an issue. If the other monorail was backing up fast enough, that is how the cab was crushed. Plus, there were reports that the cabs of the monorails are not made as stable/tough as the regular cars where guests ride.

 

[seashoreCM]

Is there anything more to investigate or are all the facts already known?