Addressing the deadly Washington D.C. train crash Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board said the operator of the train that “slammed into a stationary train in front of it apparently had activated the emergency brakes in a failed effort to stop before the accident.” as reported in the Washington Post. Hersman said the “emergency brake button, known as the ‘mushroom,’ was depressed, and the steel rails showed evidence that the brakes were engaged.”

Airline safety – Sleeping pilots or equipment malfunction?
On 10/24/09 the New York Times reported that a Northwest Airlines jet, carrying 144 passengers, missed its destination by 150 miles.