Oversight & ethics enforcementPublic safety & negligenceEnvironment & land
NTSB found a failed wheel bearing caused the East Palestine derailment and that the vent-and-burn of tank cars was not necessary
Confidence: Confirmed · 2 sourcesColumbiana County · Oct 13, 2026
Subject of this story
Norfolk Southern Railway
Also named
Oversight
National Transportation Safety Board
Federal Railroad Administration
What happened
At a June 25, 2024 board meeting in East Palestine, Ohio, the National Transportation Safety Board said a rail car's defective wheel bearing caused the February 2023 derailment and hazardous material release. Investigators also found the vent and burn of the tank cars three days later was not necessary to prevent a tank car failure and was based on information that NTSB investigators described as incomplete and misleading, provided by Norfolk Southern officials and contractors.
Sources (2)
NTSB: Decision to vent and burn hazmat tank cars 'unnecessary'The vent and burn was not necessary to prevent a tank car failure, NTSB investigators found.
Trainsthe 216-page report determines that the 38-car derailment occurred because of a catastrophic bearing failure on a hopper car that caused an axle to separate; and that the vent-and-burn procedure to deal with derailed cars of vinyl chloride monomer was not necessary.
Response
Norfolk Southern Railway
Not yet contacted
Not yet contacted for this story.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.