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On the night of March 17, 2001 Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr passenger
train derailed at 11:40 PM between Brooks and Nodaway in Adams County, Iowa.
The train was traveling along a section of track owned by the Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Railway and was carrying 225 passengers and sixteen crewmembers. The
maximum passenger capacity is 519. One passenger died as a result of blunt force
trauma sustained during the derailment and ninety-six others required transportation to
a medical facility. Two of the injuries were serious enough to warrant evacuation by
helicopter.
» Overview
» Key Issues
» The Corning Volunteer Fire Department
» Amtrak
» The Derailment
» The Investigation
» Lessons Learned
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Aerial view of the wreckage
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Reproduced from Report 143 of the Major Fires Investigation Project conducted by Varley-Campbell and Associates, Inc./TriData Corporation under contract EME-97-CO-0506 to the United States Fire Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency. Investigated by: John Lee Cook, Jr.
Acknowledgements: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Fire Administration
gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency
Management Agency, and Emergency Medical Service as well as the Fire Chief
and members of the Corning, Iowa Volunteer Fire Department. Everyone who assisted in
the preparation of this report was generous with his or her time, expertise, and counsel.
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