2011 NEWS ARCHIVE

JANUARY

  • Roller coaster car derails at Florida carnival (1/30/11)
  • Man killed in fall from roller coaster (1/30/11)

    FEBRUARY

  • Another inflatable goes flying; girl falls onto roof (2/20/11)
  • Girl, 3, killed inside kiddie ride (2/6/11)

    MARCH

  • Disney World worker suffers fatal roller coaster injury (3/14/11)
  • Miniature train derails; 1 killed, 28 injured (3/19/11)
  • Man dead after fall from roller coaster (3/20/11)
  • Engineer's report cites faulty repairs, poor inspections in Scorpion collapse (3/25/11)
  • CPSC warns of deadly danger of water walking balls (3/31/11)

    APRIL

  • Another bounce house blows away; 2 children hospitalized (4/02/11)
  • Boy, 3, killed in roller coaster accident (4/02/11)
  • Another inflatable topples in wind; 3 children injured (4/21/11)
  • Boy, 11, killed in fall from zip line (4/24/11)
  • Four injured on Disneyland Paris roller coaster (4/26/11)
  • Another inflatable slide collapses; 5 injured (4/29/11)

    MAY

  • Another inflatable slide collapses; 4 injured (5/7/11)
  • Car derails from ride at NJ park; 3 injured (5/7/11)
  • Another inflatable goes flying; 6 injured (5/13/11)
  • Teens injured in fall from Zipper ride (5/14/11)
  • Carnival workers fall from Ferris wheel; 1 killed (5/16/11)
  • Another inflatable slide topples; children injured (5/27/11)
  • Another inflatable blows away; 3 children hospitalized (5/29/11)
  • Three children rescued from carnival ride (5/29/11)

    JUNE

  • Three inflatables blow away with children inside; 17 people injured (6/4/11)
  • Girl, 11, dies after falling from Ferris wheel (6/4/11)
  • Cable snaps on rock climbing wall; man injured (6/5/11)
  • Cedar Point roller coaster accident injures 7 (6/6/11)
  • Girl, 18, killed in fall from ride (6/19/11)
  • Woman injured at Michigan carnival (6/21/11)
  • Fair ride operator, passenger injured (6/21/11)


  • View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com. (KNSD)

    Fair ride operator, passenger injured

    (June 21, 2011) - At the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, California, a ride called Techno Power suddenly restarted after it had stopped to unload passengers. A teenage girl who was exiting the ride suffered scrapes and bruises. The ride operator suffered a laceration to his head and other injuries. The operator was attempting to guide the girl out of the ride's path when the ride struck him, sending him tumbling over the fence around the ride platform and onto the ground.

    The girl and the operator were hospitalized; both are expected to make full recoveries.

    The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating.

    The ride was manufactured by Tivoli of England and is operated by Wood Entertainment of San Antonio, Texas.

    UPDATE: Investigators determined that a computer glitch was to blame for the mishap.

    Part of a Carnival Ride Hits Woman in Livonia: MyFoxDETROIT.com


    WJBK

    Woman injured at Michigan carnival

    (June 21, 2011) - A 36-year-old woman suffered head, neck, and back injuries when part of a fixture struck her in the head while she was riding an amusement ride called the Fighter at a carnival in Livonia, Michigan. She was hospitalized, but is expected to make a full recovery.

    Investigators believe that one of the ride's hydraulic arms struck the decorative lighting fixture, possibly as the result of a worn bolt. The ride was ordered shut down and all of bolts in the ride's arms were to be replaced.

    The Fighter is operated by Wade Shows. It passed a state inspection two months ago.


    Hürriyet WebTV

    Girl, 18, killed in fall from ride

    (June 19, 2011) - At Kavakli amusement park near Istanbul, Turkey, an 18-year-old girl was killed after falling 30-40 feet from an amusement ride called Discovery. According to news reports, the victim's safety restraint somehow opened in mid-air.

    A friend who was seated next to the victim tried to grab the girl when she started to fall, but was unable to hold onto her.

    An ambulance rushed to the scene, but the park had already transported the victim to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

    Last month, a similar accident on the same ride left two people injured. Park officials say that equipment was replaced after that accident.

    The Discovery consists of a 32-passenger circular gondola that is attached to a large pendulum. The gondola rotates as the pendulum swings through the air to heights up to 60 feet.

    Cedar Point roller coaster accident injures 7

    (June 6, 2011) - Seven people suffered minor injuries after two cars collided on the Wildcat roller coaster at Cedar Point theme park in Sandusky, Ohio. One car was stopped at the loading platform and the other was finishing its run.

    In May, 2008, a collision on the same ride left nine people with bruises and sprains. That accident happened when one car failed to roll past the initial incline and rolled backward into another car.

    WildCat ride reopens at Cedar Point
    Toledo Blade, 6/8/11

    Cable snaps on rock climbing wall; man injured

    (June 5, 2011) - A 21-year-old man was injured in a 20-foot fall from a rock climbing wall when his cable snapped. The accident happened at the Kidstar Amusement park in Port Charlotte, Florida.

    The man was hospitalized in fair condition.

    Girl, 11, dies after falling from Ferris wheel

    (June 4, 2011) - An 11-year-old girl died after falling from a Ferris wheel while on a school field trip at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey.

    Witnesses said that the girl, who was riding alone, fell from her gondola when it was near the half-way point from the top of the 156-foot-tall ride, called the Great Wheel, and landed on a metal platform at the base of the ride. She was pronounced dead at a hospital 45 minutes later.

    The park closed for the night out of respect for the victim's family and issued a brief statement: "The Morey staff and family offer our thoughts and prayers to the family."

    The accident is under investigation. Early reports indicate that it was a freak accident, and that there are no mechanical faults with the ride, which passed a state inspection in March, as well as daily park inspections.

    IN THE NEWS:

  • No eyewitnesses to Pleasantville girl's fatal plunge from Wildwood ferris wheel, police say - Press of Atlantic City, June 6, 2011

  • Woman critical after LI bounce house mishap
    Long Island Press, June 6, 2011

    NY accident, other mishaps illuminate perils of inconsistently regulated ‘bounce houses’
    Washington Post, June 7, 2011

    "I wish this was a rarity, but it's not. It happens all the time. These are probably the most dangerous amusement devices they have."

    "You see more injuries on inflatables than almost any other amusement ride you can think of -- more than roller coasters."

    - Jim Barber, spokesman for the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials

    Three inflatables blow away with children inside; 17 people injured

    (June 4, 2011) - In Oceanside, New York, three inflatable castles with children inside them were blown through the air in a gust of wind. Seventeen people were injured, some of whom were struck by the inflatables once they hit the ground and started rolling. One person was hospitalized with critical injuries; the others were treated at hospitals for minor injuries.

    CBS News reported that the inflatables were installed by Affordable Inflatable Entertainment of Oceanside, and the company owner said that all of the inflatables were anchored properly.

    At least 10 inflatables have either blown away or toppled over in the last 2 months, injuring more than 40 people, most of whom were children.

    The District Attorney's Office of Nassau County, Long Island, New York, is investigating.

    Three children rescued from carnival ride

    (May 29, 2011) - At a carnival in Canton, Massachusetts, three children were left stranded atop a ride called the Roll-O-Plane after the ride stalled. Firefighters who were called to the scene stabilized the ride with ropes, then cut a chain, allowing them to bring all three riders to safety. The riders were stranded about 40 feet in the air inside a car that was tilted at a 45-degree angle. One rider complained of minor leg pain, but there were no injuries.

    RELATED STORIES:

  • Boy falls from Roll-O-Plane at carnival (8/5/05)
  • Roll-O-Plane strands riders at Rhode Island carnival (9/24/99)

  • Another inflatable blows away; 3 children hospitalized

    (May 29, 2011) - In North Yorkshire, England, a bounce house with three children inside of it was blown through the air in high winds, leaving the children seriously injured. One child suffered spinal, leg, and arm injuries; another suffered broken bones; the third is believed to have sustained a head injury and possible concussion. All three victims were hospitalized.

    Another inflatable slide topples; children injured

    (May 27, 2011) - Eight children were sent to a hospital after an inflatable slide toppled over at an elementary school in Lyons, Illinois. Some of the children fell as high as 15 feet and landed on asphault.

    The victims' injuries were not life-threatening.


    WGHP Fox 8

    Carnival workers fall from Ferris wheel; 1 killed

    (May 16, 2011) - A 42-year-old carnival worker was killed and another was hospitalized in critical condition after they fell from a Ferris wheel they were dismantling in Greensboro, North Carolina. Police suspect a broken safety cable may have caused the accident.

    The ride is owned by James H. Drew Exposition of Augusta, Georgia. The company issued this statement: "The Drew Exposition family is saddened by the loss of one of our workers and the injury of another. After our six day event at the Greensboro Youth Council's Carnival, the Seattle Wheel was being dismantled when two of our employees fell from the equipment being used to take the machine down."

    OSHA is investigating.

    Since 1985, at least 13 carnival workers have been killed while assembling or disassembling a Ferris wheel.

    UPDATE: The North Carolina Department of Labor cited Event Coordinators Inc. of Augusta, Georgia, for 12 serious safety violations in connection to this fatal accident. Fines ranged from $900 to $3,500 per violation and totaled $27,100. According to the labor department report, a fitting failed on a wire cable being used to take apart the ride.

    Teens injured in fall from Zipper ride

    (May 14, 2011) - At a carnival in Greensburg, Louisiana, two teenagers fell were injured after falling from a Zipper ride. The teens fell 15 feet after the ride accidentally started while they were attempting to exit their car.

    The ride is operated by Mac's Carnival and Attractions of Huron, South Dakota.

    According to the state fire marshal, the accident was the result of operator error. The operator accidentally activated the switch that starts the ride while the teens were exiting.


    KABC News

    Another inflatable goes flying; 6 injured

    (May 13, 2011) - In Tucson, Arizona, a whirlwind tossed an inflatable castle through the air and left it wrapped around a light pole. Six children were struck by parts of the attraction and suffered minor injuries.


    Car derails from ride at NJ park; 3 injured

    (May 7, 2011) - At Storybrook Land amusement park in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, three people suffered minor injuries when the front car of the "Big Truck Ride" derailed as it made a turn. The riders were ejected from the car and fell about two feet to the ground. The car landed on its side.

    The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs is investigating.

    Another inflatable slide collapses; 4 injured

    (May 7, 2011) - At a festival in Encino, California, four children suffered minor injuries when an inflatable slide collapsed. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, too many children were on the slide, and there was no adult supervision at the time of the accident.


    KGPE-TV CBS 47

    Another inflatable slide collapses; 5 injured

    (April 29, 2011) - At an elementary school in Clovis, California, five children were injured when a wind gust toppled an inflatable slide.

    Four injured on Disneyland Paris roller coaster

    (April 26, 2011) - At Disneyland Paris, four people were injured while they were riding the Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster. The accident happened when part of the ride's scenery fell onto the track, causing a collision with the front car of the train. Five riders were struck by the debris; four were treated for minor injuries at the park and released, and the other was hospitalized with serious head injuries.

    Boy, 11, killed in fall from zip line

    (April 24, 2011) - An 11-year-old boy suffered a fatal fall from a zip line called the SwampFlyer at Greenwood Forest Park in Wales. The ride is 475 feet long and reaches heights of 30 feet.

    The park claims that all equipment was inspected just hours before the accident.

    UPDATE: A July 2011 report by the Health and Safety Executive claims that "the accident was probably caused because of the client being 'mis-clipped' onto the zip wire."

    Another inflatable topples in wind; 3 children injured

    (April 21, 2011) - At a carnival in New Square, New York, three children were injured when a gust of wind toppled an inflatable castle.


    WLS ABC 7 News

    Suit: Amusement park negligent in boy's death
    Chicago Tribune, 4/20/11

    Boy, 3, killed in roller coaster accident

    (April 2, 2011) - A 3-year-old boy was killed after falling from a kiddie roller coaster in Norridge, Illinois. The accident happened at an indoor family amusement center called Go Bananas. Early reports indicate that the child may have freed himself from the car's safety restraint. He somehow became wedged between two cars, and ultimately fell from the ride. He sustained serious head injuries and died at the scene.

    The park was closed while state inspectors are investigating.

    According to rcdb.com, the ride, called Python Pit, reaches a top speed of 15mph and has been operating since 1997.

    Another bounce house blows away; 2 children hospitalized

    (April 2, 2011) - In Tucson, Arizona, 2 children suffered serious injuries after a bounce house was blown into the air by a sudden gust of wind while they were inside it. According to Tucson Police, the inflatable blew across three lanes of traffic before it landed on the side of a road. The children were hospitalized; both were expected to make a full recovery.


    Risks associated with the use of water walking balls, a new type of water-related recreational activity, include the potential for suffocation, drowning, and impact injuries, according to the CPSC.

    CPSC warns of deadly danger of water walking balls

    (March 31, 2011) - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to stop participating in a new type of water-related recreational activity, due to the potential risks of suffocation and drowning. The activity is called water walking and the water walking ball has numerous brand or ride names.

    The fact that the product has no emergency exit and can be opened only by a person outside of the ball significantly heightens the risk of injury or death when a person inside the ball experiences distress. Pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart, lung, or breathing issues, can be made worse by use of this product.

    An individual climbs into the large, see-through plastic ball; it is inflated with a blower through the zipper opening; and the zipper is closed, making the ball air-tight. The ball, with the person locked inside, then rolls around on a number of surfaces, including water, ice, or grass. The product is most commonly used by children and is used mainly as a ride in amusement parks, carnivals, malls, sporting events and other high-traffic areas. The product is also sold directly to the public for personal use.

    Several states have banned or refused to provide permits for rides that use this product. CPSC is aware of two incidents involving this product. In one incident, a child was found unresponsive after being inside the ball for a very brief period of time, and emergency medical treatment was sought. In the second incident, a person inside of a ball suffered a fracture when the ball fell out of the shallow, above-ground pool onto the hard ground.

    CPSC is warning consumers that there is a combination of risks associated with this product, including the potential for suffocation, as well as the potential for drowning and impact injuries. Because the ball is airtight, an inadequate air supply can result when oxygen is depleted and carbon dioxide accumulates inside the ball. Such a dangerous scenario can occur in as little as a few minutes. Because the water walking balls have no padding, impact injuries can occur if the balls collide with each other, or fall out of the pool onto concrete or other hard surfaces, such as ice or tile. These water walking balls are also being used on open water, creating the potential for injuries if the ball is struck by a boat or strikes a solid object, such as a buoy or pier. Additionally, the balls present a high risk of drowning if there is a leak or a puncture.

    CPSC has informed state amusement ride officials of the risks associated with this product and encourages state officials not to permit this ride in their state.

    CPSC does not know of any safe way to use this product.

    The CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product or involve a different hazard with the same product. Visit saferproducts.gov for more information.

    Riding roughshod over safety
    Calgary Herald Editorial, 3/26/11


    Arrows point to the failed weld section of the Scorpion ride that broke apart last summer, injuring 10 people.

    Engineer's report cites faulty repairs, poor inspections in Scorpion collapse

    (March 25, 2011) - The Scorpion ride that broke apart and injured 10 people last July at the Calgary Stampede fair and rodeo showed visible signs of fatigue cracks and faulty welding, according to the analysis of independent engineers who have been investigating the accident. The report, issued by Anderson Associates Consulting, was released by the Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs on Thursday.

    The Scorpion is owned and operated by North American Midway Entertainment. The ride consists of three arms. At the end of each arm is a wheel-like structure that carries 8 cars. As the arms whirl, they tilt the wheels of cars up into the air, as the wheels spin and the cars swing. One of the wheels broke off its arm, fell off the ride platform, and crashed into a barrier. Some cars flipped over and fell to the platform where the whirling cars that were still attached to the the ride crashed into them.

    According to North American Midway Entertainment (NAME), the ride passed an inspection just hours before the catastrophic failure. Nevertheless, NAME general manager Tony Diaz says that the company has "full faith" in its inspectors, and the Calgary Stampede says that it has not lost confidence in NAME.

    Excerpts from the engineer's report are listed below.


    Click to read engineer's report in its entirety.
    Examination of the Scorpion amusement ride after the July 16, 2010 incident in Calgery, Alberta and detailed evaluation of the fracture surface revealed that at the time of the incident the green spinner hub flange was connected to the barrel with minimal weld material. The final failure of the welded joint occurred suddenly in a single event tensile overload mode as the remaining weld material could no longer withstand the normal operating load. The reason that there was minimal weld material holding the parts together is that fatigue cracks had extended through most of the weld material prior to its installation in Calgary.

    Review of the available background information revealed that fatigue cracks had previously been found at the failure location. Normal industry practice would be to completely grind out the crack and re-weld the joint. However, these cracks had been improperly repaired by simply welding over the crack. The repair was so poorly done that [the] original crack still remained and portions of the crack extended beyond the end of the repair. As a result, the repair welds failed and the fatigue cracks continued to extend further into the welded flange-to-barrel joint.

    Manufacturer recommended inspections of amusement rides are to be carried out by the owner to discover fatigue cracks before they grow to the extent that sudden catastrophic failures occur. Once there was a known incidence of cracking at a spinner hub flange-to-barrel joint, it was important for the owner to instruct their inspectors to carefully examine this area on all subsequent inspections. These particular inspections were not performed on this Scorpion ride. Apparently, the owner's inspections subsequent to the weld repair did not look at the failure area very closely, if at all. Otherwise, the owner's inspectors would have found at least portions of the original crack that extended beyond the weld repair. By the time the incident occurred, almost two years after the repair, a crack had extended almost completely around the barrel. This crack could have been seen had the owner performed a visual inspection of the joint.

    In performing repairs, the owner of the Scorpion ride did not consult with the manufacturer as recommended in the operation and maintenance manual nor did he consult with a knowledgeable engineer/technologist. After a faulty repair was complete, it appears that the owner never made any attempt to direct any inspector's attention to the repair area in order to check the adequacy of the repair or if other cracks were developing. As a result, cracks developed and grew undetected to the point of joint failure.


    Arrows in this picture point to a visible crack on the blue spinner sweep assembly.
    A visual inspection of the blue spinner sweep arm assembly revealed a significant crack in the weld located between the top flange and barrel of the spinner hub assembly in close proximity to the location where the fixed secondary sweep arm was pinned to the top flange plate. It was also noted that a weld repair was evident on the opposite symmetrical side of the fixed sweep arm.

    Failures of this nature could have been prevented if the owner followed the manufacturer's recommended inspection criteria. When cracks were found during the owner's routine inspection, repair procedures and verification should have been developed and approved by a professional engineer or suitably qualified individual. Their instructions would normally include the owner to carry out additional inspections to insure that cracks were no longer a threat to the integrity of the ride. Henceforth, the owner would be obliged to carry out these additional inspections along with those recommended by the manufacturer.

    This incident would not have occurred if the original crack was assessed by a qualified engineer who would have recognized it as a fatigue crack. Once recognized as a fatigue crack, steps could have been taken to combat the effects of fatigue. The owner's inspection requirements would necessarily increase and include non-destructive testing so that the cracked component could be repaired or replaced before reaching a critical state.

    Lawsuit filed over Houston roller coaster death
    Associated Press, 3/25/11


    FOX Houston


    KTRK-TV ABC 13 News, Houston


    KTRK-TV ABC 13 News, Houston


    KTRK-TV ABC 13 News, Houston

    Man dead after fall from roller coaster

    (March 20, 2011) - At the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Houston, Texas, a 46-year-old man fell from a roller coaster and later died. Witnesses said the man fell from the "Hi-Miler" roller coaster as his car made a sharp turn about 30 feet in the air. The man was rushed to a local hospital, where he died.

    The man struck a passerby as he fell to the ground; the passerby suffered a broken ankle.

    The ride is owned by Ray Cammack Shows. It passed an inspection before it opened in Houston, and no defects were reported.

    The accident is under investigation.

    READ:

  • Complaint filed after man's death at rodeo

  • Lawsuit filed against Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and Ray Cammack Shows

  • Complaint from rider raising concerns over Hi-Miler roller coaster
  • Officials: Excessive speed caused Cleveland Park train crash
    GoUpstate.com, May 23, 2011

    Ride inspector in fatal train crash case issued 1 citation
    WCSC-TV 5 News, May 27, 2011


    Associated Press

    Child's video of train ride (ABC News)


    Click to read statement by investigating officer.

    Miniature train derails; 1 killed, 28 injured

    (March 19, 2011) - At Cleveland Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a miniature train loaded with passengers derailed and overturned, killing a six-year-old boy and injuring 28 others. According to a police report, the 42-year-old operator of the train told one officer: "I was going too f****** fast."

    Despite the statement from the conductor, police say that the investigation is ongoing, and no conclusion has been made as to what factors may have contributed to the accident.

    "We cannot analyze the entire incident based on a single uttered statement. At this point we have not reached a conclusion as to the technical or mechanical findings of the investigation. The statement, while important to the investigation, does not provide conclusive evidence of the actual speed or the functionally of the train or tracks."

    The train, named Sparky the Family Train, is designed to operate at a maximum speed of only 10mph.

    The accident happened on the train's first run of the year.

    Two medical helicopters and numerous ambulances responded to the scene. At least six children were hospitalized, but all were expected to make a full recovery.

    According to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, the ride was scheduled to be inspected three days before the accident by a state inspector, however that inspector could not inspect the ride because its battery was dead. Nevertheless, the inspector documented that he had inspected the ride and indicated that it was running properly. State officials have since fired the inspector who approved the ride for operation. They said that he admitted falsifying the inspection report.

    Spartanburg Public Safety Captain Art Littlejohn cautioned that the investigation is still in its early phase, and no conclusions should be made until investigators have examined all the evidence.

    "The investigation of this tragedy continues. We are continuing to utilize resources from a variety of agencies to ensure a comprehensive investigation. Every effort is being made to determine the events prior to the derailment and the contributing factors. The investigation is also focusing on whether this incident was caused by mechanical failure or human error.

    "We are currently reviewing all reports, statements, 911 recordings, and an amateur video. Contrary to media reports, we have not identified any information that suggests the accident was the result of sabotage.

    "Once all information is reviewed, the Spartanburg Public Safety Department will compile a comprehensive report which will include the accident reconstruction from the Highway Patrol. A report of all findings will be given to Solicitor Barry Barnette for review. All local media outlets will be notified once the investigation is completed."


    WSPA News

    WSPA News

    MORE:
  • Driver admits he was operating deadly train ride too fast - ABC News
  • Conductor says he’s suffering after crash; attorneys blame mechanical failure - Washington Post
  • Attorney files lawsuit for train crash victims - WYFF News
  • Church describes train wreck victims' injuries - WYFF News

  • Disney World worker suffers fatal roller coaster injury

    (March 14, 2011) - A 52-year-old maintenance worker suffered fatal head injuries while he was repairing the Primeval Whirl roller coaster at Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World on Sunday. He died Monday morning.

    A co-worker reported that the man had been struck by a moving car while he was performing routine maintenance on the ride, which was closed to the public at the time.

    MORE:
    Second death on Disney World's Primeval Whirl ride as worker dies after being struck on head - Daily Mail

    "I actually saw a fully inflated square bounce house come rolling over my next-door neighbor's roof. There was a child in the bounce house."

    Another inflatable goes flying; girl falls onto roof

    (February 20, 2011) - In Marana, Arizona, two girls were tossed out of an inflatable jumping castle when a gust of wind carried it at least 100 feet through the air. One girl was tossed out onto the ground and suffered only minor injuries; the other was ejected onto the roof of a neighbor's house and suffered serious injuries, including head injuries.


    Photo: EFE

    Girl, 3, killed inside kiddie ride

    (February 6, 2011) - At a carnival in Moral de Calatrava, Spain, a 3-year-old girl was fatally injured inside an amusement attraction for children. The girl got caught between a moving cylinder and the wheel that turns it.

    The location of the cylinder is inside the ride and not visible to the ride attendant. The girl remained trapped until her father noticed that she did not exit the attraction with the other children. Firefighters rushed inside and managed to free the victim, but she died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital.

    According to El Dia newspaper, witnesses said that it appeared that a floor board either gave way or was missing, causing the victim to fall upon the moving wheel, where her head got caught.

    The ride passed an inspection and was properly insured.


    A YouTube video shows the ride in operation

    Man killed in fall from roller coaster

    (January 30, 2011) - At Tokyo Dome City amusement park in Tokyo, Japan, a 34-year-old man suffered fatal injuries when he was ejected from a roller coaster and fell 20-25 feet. The accident happened on 'Maihime' -- a steel roller coaster whose cars spin as they roll along the track.

    Tokyo Police are investigating reports that the victim may have too large to ride; that the victim's lap bar did not lock properly because of his size; that the ride operator did not manually check to ensure that the safety bar was locked; and that employees did not receive proper training.

    According to investigators, the ride operator, a part-time employee, said that she did not manually check the victim's lap bar because it "appeared to be locked as it was positioned right on his stomach." The ride's lap bars are designed to rest and lock across riders' legs. Normally, a lap bar is not effective as a restraining device if it rests upon a rider's stomach, even if it is locked. Police suspect that the victim exceeded the size limit of a rider, and that he should not have been allowed to ride.

    According to the Daily Yomiuri, the ride operator told police: "I told passengers to lock the safety bars, but I didn't confirm [whether they were in the correct position] with my hand. I thought customers would lock [the bars] by themselves because they're grownups."

    The report also indicates that the operator was quoted as saying, "At the time of the accident I was looking at a staff assignment sheet, so I didn't monitor the roller coaster operation at all."

    The ride has been ordered closed while police continue their investigation.

    MORE:

  • Police raid HQ of Tokyo amusement park operator in wake of roller coaster death (Mainichi Daily News)
  • Safety flaws found in Dome ride investigation (Japan Times)
  • Just one part-timer in charge of fatal coaster (Daily Yomiuri)
  • Ride's manual lacks safety steps (Daily Yomiuri)

  • Roller coaster car derails at Florida carnival

    (January 30, 2011) - At a carnival in North Palm Beach, Florida, two women were left stranded at the top of a roller coaster when the front wheels of their car disengaged from the rails. Rescue workers brought the women to safety with the help of a ladder truck. No one was injured.

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