Tesla Driver In Fatal Peninsula Crash Had Reported Problems

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — The Tesla driver who died in a Mountain View crash in March 2018 while using the car's auto-steering system had previously reported problems with the system that caused the car to steer toward the same spot where it later crashed, the National Transportation Safety Board revealed Tuesday.

The information came to light Tuesday when the NTSB released more than 500 pages of documents related to an ongoing investigation, which began days after the March 23, 2018 crash.

Walter Huang, 38, a San Mateo resident and software engineer at Apple, was using Autopilot while driving his Model X south on U.S. Highway 101 and approaching the interchange with state Highway 85 when the car struck a highway barrier. It was then hit by two more vehicles, causing the Tesla's lithium battery to catch fire.

Huang, who was rescued by bystanders before the car was consumed by flames, died at a hospital later that day.

According to the NTSB, Huang had previously reported that the Autopilot system had steered the wheel toward the place where it later crashed, between the lane and a highway ramp, Reuters reported.

During those past trips, Huang had to manually take control to steer the car away from that area, the NTSB said. Data from the car shows that Huang didn't take control of the steering wheel or attempt to brake before the fatal crash, Reuters reported.

Huang had told members of his family about problems with the car, according to the NTSB investigation. Huang had told his wife that "the Autopilot would cause his Tesla to veer toward the barrier involved in his crash, prior to the crash," a lawyer for Huang's wife told investigators.

The investigation also showed that Huang had been using an iPhone and playing "Three Kingdoms," a word-building game, during the fatal drive, but it wasn't clear how actively he was playing at the time of the crash.

The NTSB will hold a hearing on Feb. 25 to determine the probable cause of the crash.

Tesla, which is based in Palo Alto, has not commented on the NTSB report. Huang's family filed a lawsuit against Tesla in May, alleging that the Autopilot technology malfunctioned and caused Huang's death.

The NTSB also released documents Tuesday from its investigation into another Tesla crash in Florida, about a year after the Mountain View crash. In that crash, a Tesla Model 3 driver using a semi-autonomous driving system failed to steer away from a semi truck before he struck it, killing him, according to the NTSB.

The full public docket for the Mountain View crash investigation is available at the NTSB website.

See also:

• Foster City Family Sues Tesla After Deadly, Fiery Crash
  
• Tesla Comments On Fatal Model X Crash
  
• Feds 'Unhappy' With Tesla Actions In Model X Crash Investigation
  
• Tesla Stock Tanks Following Deadly Crash, NTSB Probe
  
• Tesla Driver Dies After Fiery Crash On Hwy 101 In Mountain View