NTSB: Rescue Engine Was Going 25 MPH When It Hit Stalled Arkansas Excursion Train

The conductor on an Arkansas & Missouri rescue locomotive going to assist a stalled excursion train on October 16, 2014 in western Arkansas jumped just before it slammed head-on into the disabled train, according to a preliminary NTSB report.

In a report released Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board says 39 passengers and four crew members on the excursion train were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators said the conductor who jumped was hospitalized with back and ankle injuries. The rescue train's engineer, who did not jump, suffered only minor injuries.

The NTSB says the rescue engine was traveling at 25 mph at the time it struck the excursion train. In addition, about 40 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled from fuel tank on one of the damaged passenger cars.

The report says damages to the locomotives, passenger cars, and track were estimated to be $178,500.

The NTSB says all four passenger cars separated from the excursion locomotive as a result of the collision, but did not derail. The engineer and conductor, who were in the cab of the passenger train locomotive, suffered minor injuries.

Before the collision, the report stated the excursion train had stopped because a "severe reduction in adhesion to the rail" made it impossible for the train to move up a 1-percent grade.

The NTSB has said the final report on the crash might not be complete until next year.

10/23/2014 Related Story: Arkansas & Missouri Railroad Resumes Excursion Trips