Bizarre Bus Crash

[Western SMT]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....arre_bus_crash

[G-CPTN]

a bus driver's wheel came off in his hands.
"I was terrified. From where I was sitting I saw the steering wheel come off in the driver's hands then the bus went off the road."
Bus company Arriva launched an investigation but concluded it was a freak accident caused by a fault which just affected one bus.
"We carried out a full investigation, which has been concluded. We are satisfied that this was a problem that was relating solely to this bus.
It is impossible to say exactly what caused it, but the results of the investigation were that it was a one-off.."

I've never heard of anything like this. It was either a prank (and therefore criminal), negligence (during maintenance or initial assembly), or a very very unusual happening.
I suppose if the nut hadn't been properly tightened (at initial assembly) then it might come off but . . .

[dmackay]

Sometimes needs a puller to take the steering wheel off after the nut is removed

[G-CPTN]

Exactly!

[Western SMT]

Another story from USA this time -

http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/1989/H89_34.pdf

[G-CPTN]

Hope the driver's family sued the bus operator.
Responsibility clearly lay with the maintenance facility.

[Western SMT]

It happened in the USA so they probably tried - but it was stated that the driver declined the General Manager's offer for another bus.

[G-CPTN]

So he said . . .