NTSB calling in FBI to investigate projectile report in derailment

Finding the cause of this week’s fatal Amtrak crash has taken a new turn and investigators are asking for help from the FBI.

Robert Sumwalt of the National Transportation Safety Board says the engineer of the train was very cooperative but didn’t remember the seconds leading up to the crash.

“He recalls ringing the train bell as he went through the North Philadelphia station,” Sumwalt said. “As he recalled doing that but he has no recollection past that.”

An assistant conductor was also interviewed and Sumwalt says she heard a conversation between the driver of the Amtrak train and a SEPTA train that was hit by an object, breaking a window.

“She also believed she heard her engineer say something about his train being struck by something this is her recollection and we are going to be conducting further investigation of this comment,” he said.

The FBI has been called in to check out damage to the Amtrak locomotive.

“Our investigation has not independently confirmed this information but we have seen damage to the left hand lower portion of the Amtrak windshield that we have asked the FBI to come in and look at for us,” Sumwalt said.

On Wednesday Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said he was aware of the SEPTA train being hit and confirmed that it “has nothing to do with this [the Amtrak] incident at all.”