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Fatality Reports

MSHA investigates each mining fatality and prepares the following documents to alert the mining community and prevent similar occurrences.

  • Fatality Alert - describes the accident and lists best practices that may have prevented it
  • Preliminary Report - initial report with brief description
  • Final Report - investigative findings, including root causes and enforcement actions

Some deaths on mining property are determined to be unrelated to mining activity and are not included in MSHA’s fatality statistics - See recent “non-chargeable” fatalities:
Accident Classification: Electrical
Location: Shelby Indiana
Mine Controller: Heritage Group
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Crawford, Indiana
Mine Controller: CRH PLC
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Crushed Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Sullivan, Indiana
Mine Controller: Peabody Energy
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Knox, Indiana
Mine Controller: Hallador Energy Company
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Fire
Location: Sullivan County, IN
Mine Controller: Peabody Energy
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: 1183 East Canvasback Drive Terre Haute, IN 47802
Mine Controller: Brent K Bilsland
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: Earl Brinker
Mine Type: Surface
Mined Material: Construction Sand and Gravel

On November 17, 2014, Robert Arnold Fleenor, a 63-year-old truck driver, missed the last step while climbing down the ladder of his haul truck. He hit the tire of the haul truck and then slid down the tire and hit his head on the concrete. Several hours later, he complained of not feeling well, and was subsequently found unresponsive behind the steering wheel of his truck. He was transported to a hospital, where he died on November 27, 2014. The death certificate and autopsy report both indicated that the manner of death was accidental, and the cause of death was a left cerebral infarction due to left subdural hematoma. Based on the findings of the death certificate, the autopsy report, and the MSHA investigation, the committee members concluded that his death should be charged to the mining industry.

(Victim died November 27, 2014)
Accident Classification: Machinery
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: Donald Blankenberger
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Slip or Fall of Person
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: Alliance Resource Partners LP
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Powered Haulage
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: James River Coal Company
Mine Type: Surface of Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)
Accident Classification: Falling, Rolling, or Sliding Rock or Material of Any Kind
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: Rogers Group Inc
Mine Type: Facility
Mined Material: Crushed, Broken Limestone NEC
Accident Classification: Fall of Roof or Back
Location: Indiana
Mine Controller: Alliance Coal, LLC
Mine Type: Underground
Mined Material: Coal (Bituminous)