The engineer at the controls of the Metro-North train that derailed as it sped around a sharp curve in the Bronx on Sunday told first responders at the scene that he had zoned out just before the crash that killed four people and injured more than 60 others, NBC 4 New York has learned.
A senior law enforcement official tells NBC 4 New York that the engineer was not able to recall specifics about the moments before the train came apart and slid down a bank toward the Harlem River near the Spuyten Duyvil station, sending passengers tumbling, some out windows.
The engineer reported spacing out before the crash, the official said.
The NTSB said at a briefing Monday that the train's black box shows it was hurtling down the tracks at 82 mph, crashing on a sharp curve where trains are required to go 30 mph. Investigators are still probing whether human or mechanical error was responsible for the train speeding.
The NTSB has also learned from the black box that the throttle went idle six seconds before the crash, and the brake pressure went to zero, indicating "full application of the brakes."
There was so far no indication of a problem with the brakes, NTSB member Earl Weener said.
The NTSB has begun interviewing the crew members and reviewing the engineer's cell phone, which Weener said was part of the forensic process. Technicians were also working to enhance poor surveillance video of the crash that was taken from a nearby bridge.
Anthony Bottalico, the chairman of the train engineer's union, ACRE Local 1, said the engineer was "traumatized" by the derailment and "distraught over the loss of life."
The Bronx district attorney is also involved in the investigation, a spokesman said.
