NTSB issues preliminary report on investigation of railway employee fatality Written by David C. Lester, Managing Editor The NTSB released a preliminary report on a BNSF yard employee who died in the early hours of March 3. BNSF Railway On March 3 of this year, a BNSF conductor died in a La Mirada, California rail yard accident. RT&S reported on the fatality the day it happened. The National Transportation Safety Board issued its preliminary report on the accident on April 1, and here’s what they’re reporting so far: “The National Transportation Safety Board issued Thursday (April 1) the preliminary report for its ongoing investigation of the March 3, 2021, death of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway conductor in the La Mirada, California, railyard.