Light aircraft crash lands on level crossing, then is struck by train.

[marknewton]

You'd have to be extremely unlucky to have both happen to you on the same day...

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-10/train-plane-crash-pilot-freed-la-police-video/100748226

 

One thing that puzzles me is this - there appears to be yellow police tape in view blocking the footpath just prior to the collision. If the police had time to cordon off the area, you'd think they'd have time to contact the railroad's dispatcher or signallers and get a block put on. I obviously don't know what track speed is across there, but the train isn't dawdling, nor does it appear to be braking when it strikes the aircraft. 
 

I recall seeing crossings there that had an emergency phone attached to the relay hut that rang through direct to the DS or signaller. I wonder if this is commonplace, perhaps one of our US members can comment?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited January 11, 2022 by marknewton

[JR East]

The pilot was really lucky twice in 10 minutes. First of all, succeeding in landing "safely" in urban zone with a major engine failure prohibiting a return to the airport (seems the airport was close as he was having troubles just after the take-off). 

 

Believe me, it's more than challenging as your average approach speed is around 100 kt for a crash landing around 70-80 kt ... I experimented it once in 2004 but in the countryside on a non-harvested field resulting in destroyed plane but safe crew !

 

 

Second of all, the police was there to extract it from the plane just before the train arrived. 

 

JM

Edited January 11, 2022 by JR East
Adding infos

[roadstar_na6]

Only in Los Santos stuff like this happens 😄

[miyakoji]

2 hours ago, marknewton said:

 

I recall seeing crossings there that had an emergency phone attached to the relay hut that rang through direct to the DS or signaller. I wonder if this is commonplace, perhaps one of our US members can comment?

Mark, yes, these are everywhere.  However, considering how many videos there are of trains punching through vehicles stuck on crossings, I guess people are not aware of them or not using them.  All that I can think of look just like the one below, clearly visible and clear in meaning.

 

 

[cteno4]

I’m wondering if that yellow tape on the foot path was there for another reason previously, yellow tape like that is used around most any construction thing here. You know I’ve never looked for a phone box on our local crossings, will need to! The few around here are nasty busy roads and MARC trains speeding thru at really good rates, so stalls are going to happen. Folks are dumb stupid on crossings here in dc. 
 

super lucky landing as jr notes, missing clipping a power line or street lamp as well as on a little lane like that it would have taken it down.

 

jeff

[JR East]

5 hours ago, miyakoji said:

Mark, yes, these are everywhere.  However, considering how many videos there are of trains punching through vehicles stuck on crossings, I guess people are not aware of them or not using them.  All that I can think of look just like the one below, clearly visible and clear in meaning.

 

 

 

 

I've been more than 10 times to USA, drove along both coasts, around Chicago etc .... and I was not aware of that. Great thanks to you for thise very useful info. I learned something important today in case I got such a major problem. I don't understand why such an information is not provided when you're renting a car coming from abroad. It's an information I'll share with my colleagues next time they'll go to the USA. 

 

JM. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by JR East

[cteno4]

4 hours ago, JR East said:

I don't understand why such an information is not provided when you're renting a car coming from abroad.

i would guess 99% of us drivers are unaware as they police seemed to be responding to the crash. I’m always reading about crossing issues and articles when I see them come by and I can’t remember seeing mention of phones at crossings. As emergency responders you would guess they would know about them. But maybe one not there and maybe too fast for police dispatch to reach train dispatch in time.

 

jeff

[Kiha66]

Chiming in, US drivers and also most US emergency services don't have any training when dealing with railroads, so they don't usually realize they should call immediately to stop rail traffic.  I've had to call for malfunctioning crossing gates a few times here in LA when it clearly had been happening for a while near both a police and fire station. 

 

The crossings and signal boxes all have phone numbers posted on them that anyone with a cellphone can call to speak directly to a dispatcher, that is what the blue sign has on it, not a physical phone you can use.  Calling 911 usually only gets directed to a local police department which often do not know how to contact the railroad that controls said crossing.

 

There was an incident a few years back with a local police department not understanding how the railroad works, and arresting a train crew for blocking the crossing for too long.  They let the crew go pretty quick when the railroad informed them a replacement crew would not arrive to move the train for a few hours....

[disturbman]

4 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

There was an incident a few years back with a local police department not understanding how the railroad works, and arresting a train crew for blocking the crossing for too long.

That seems particularly idiotic. Do you have a link to the news story? I would love to read more about this. Are there laws that allow the police to arrest rail crews for blocking crossings while working?

I don't know how it's in Europe, but I'm surprised to hear that first responders are not trained on what to do when working on accidents involving active railways. Call dispatch and have traffic stopped shouldn't be too difficult to teach and remember.

[JR East]

1 hour ago, disturbman said:

That seems particularly idiotic. Do you have a link to the news story? I would love to read more about this. Are there laws that allow the police to arrest rail crews for blocking crossings while working?

I don't know how it's in Europe, but I'm surprised to hear that first responders are not trained on what to do when working on accidents involving active railways. Call dispatch and have traffic stopped shouldn't be too difficult to teach and remember.

 

Just to let you know (as my son is train driver for French SNCF), the police is not allowed to arrest anybody unless a if that person is committing an offense or a crime. At least, simply blocking a railroad crossing for service reason can't be.

In France, a train driver follows the signs (red lights, cab signs, etc...) or follows the defect procedure. On top of that, there are regulation centers in radio-contact (in case the radio is down, drivers are also able to use the cellphone), so that, stopping is alsways bound to a good reason. 

 

On top of that, arresting the train crew will never ease the train to leave the crossing isn't it ? 

Edited January 12, 2022 by JR East
Add. info