Fatality · MSHA Record #220020560160

Bulldozer Operator fatality at Black Thunder (Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC), WY, February 20, 2002

at 6:00 PM

On February 20, 2002, a bulldozer operator was fatally injured in a fall of face/rib/pillar/side/highwall accident at Black Thunder (Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC), WY.

Black Thunder · Surface · Coal

Operator: Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC (Ashland Inc)

Campbell County, WY

Classification FALL OF FACE/RIB/PILLAR/SIDE/HIGHWALL

Type Struck by falling object

Investigator narrative

EE WAS CLEANING UP AROUND THE 8 SHOVEL. EYEWITNESS SAYS "A LARGE ROCK CAME DOWN AND HIT THE 86 DIRECTLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROPS...SMASHING THE CAB." EE WAS KILLED INSTANTANEOUSLY BY THE IMPACT ACCORDING TO THE DEPUTY CORONER.

Record details

Activity at time of incident: Bulldozer
Subunit / location: STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT
Accident type: Struck by falling object
Source of injury: CAVING ROCK,COAL,ORE,WSTE
Nature of injury: MULTIPLE INJURIES
Body part affected: MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)
Total mining experience: 21 years
Experience at this mine: 19 years
Experience in this job: 19 years
Degree of injury: FATALITY

Related fatalities

Same operator

July 21, 2021 · Maintenance Man · Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC, WY
August 16, 2013 · Utility Man · Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC, WY
February 20, 2003 · Warehouseman · Thunder Basin Coal Company LLC, WY

Same classification

August 24, 2026 · Driller · Haynes Materials Company, CT
May 19, 2026 · Laborer · Consol Pennsylvania Coal Company LLC, PA
February 28, 2025 · Bull Gang Foreman · Marfork Coal Company, LLC, WV
January 29, 2025 · Drill Operator · Lexington Coal Company, LLC, WV
August 22, 2024 · Rotary Bucket Excavator Operator · Onyx Corporation, MA

Same year

December 28, 2002 · Welder (Shop) · Appalachian Fuels, LLC, KY
December 27, 2002 · Beltman · Mystic Energy Incorporated, WV
December 26, 2002 · Greaser · Catenary Coal Company LLC, WV
December 20, 2002 · Warehouseman · Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ
December 13, 2002 · Roof Bolter · American Mining & Manufacturing Corporation, KY

Verify on MSHA

Every record on this page mirrors what MSHA publishes under its Open Government Data program, refreshed weekly. MSHA does not publish per-accident URLs (the Accidents data is distributed as a single bulk file), so this is how to retrieve the source for the specific record below:

Accident record: Download MSHA Accidents.zip then search for Document number 220020560160 (the unique key per MSHA Form 7000-1)
Mine record: MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System and search by Mine ID 4800977
All MSHA datasets: Open Government Data program directory covering Accident, Mines, Inspections, Violations, etc.

Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) · Document 220020560160 · Mine ID 4800977 Trainer view →