Report: Train engineer likely distracted by radio before deadly Amtrak 188 crash

The National Transportation Safety Board will announce Tuesday that the engineer of the Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia last year, killing eight people and injuring more than 200, was distracted by radio chatter before the crash.

An official told CNN that investigators found no evidence that Amtrak 188's engineer, Brandon Bostian, was using a cellphone or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. After the crash, Bostian told investigators he could clearly remember discussing with other trains and dispatchers incidents involving other trains being hit by projectiles; investigators found that it took 11 minutes for the train to go from the Philadelphia train station to the derailment site, and for seven of those minutes Bostian was participating in radio conversations.

The train derailed after it approached a 50 mph curve at 106 mph. The NTSB will likely make recommendations that train engineers receive periodic training to help them manage multiple tasks at once.

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