Death at Six Flags over Texas

[The Interpreter]

They didn't when I was there last summer.

[YoungStud]

so the story about the restraint coming down one click is false...

[Jasper]

I saw Robb Alvey post on the TPR Twitter account last night a video that proved that the restrains did not 'click'.

[Tanna]

From what I was told, and please forgive my lack of professional terms, that each of the clicks on DB represents another safety device. The ride is designed to look as if you are held in by a mere aluminum post, but within that post is a monster restraint system.

The ride is designed not to go forward at all unless all of the restraints systems are in place.

Experts please correct me if I'm wrong, I could have been told this as a balm, as this was explained to me by a third party while trying to convince my equally Lilliputian sized niece that there was nothing to fear.

I still hold onto the handles at the sides sometimes while riding the DB, becuae I'm small enough to have airtime for a very long time,

[TheCrypt]

Diamondback's restraints are both primary and secondary. Two separate mechanisms ensure the restraint keeps restraining even if one of the two were to fail.

Are there any rides at Kings Island with a triple redundant restraint?

[Tanna]

Regarding the eyewitness account... there's contradictions the statement she gave the press:

Carmen Brown of Arlington was waiting in line as the victim and her son were being strapped in for the ride.

She was right in front of us, but we werent on the ride, she said.The lady basically tumbled over.

If she wasn't on the ride, she couldn't have witnessed her tumbling over during the course of the ride.

Brown said the victims young son was in the seat in front of his mother.

We heard her screaming. We were, like, Did she just fall?

If they were in the station - which no doubt was loud and noisy, how did they hear her screaming? Also, if they were next to get on the ride, wouldn't they have been busy loading into the train? I have ridden the old Texas Giant, but the New Texas Giant has the same set-up. The train leaves the station facing AWAY from the course. It makes a 180 turn to the right and onto the lift (the same as Mean Streak) it then ascends the hill and the course is located to the far left of the station (on load side.)

Brown said she didnt believe that the woman had been secured in her seat correctly.

Subjective

Brown said the victim expressed concern to a park employee that her harness only clicked once when it was lowered into place, unlike the multiple clicks heard when others were strapped in.

He was basically nonchalant, Brown said. He was, like, As long as you heard it click, youre fine. Hers was the only one that went down once, and she didnt feel safe. But they let her still get on the ride.

Investigators were interviewing witnesses on the ride, some of whom reported that the woman had been thrown from the roller coaster as it rounded a turn.

This confuses me. Because of the high sides to the train, I wouldn't expect that she fell to the side. It would seem more likely that she'd fall forward or backward... and the witness even elluded to it "The Lady basically tumbled over."

None the less, time will tell. However I don't think we will gain accurate information based on such eyewitness accounts. Any NUMBER of things could have gone wrong. And often, such horrible tragedies are a result of several mistakes, errors or circumstances.

That cat in the New England Superman ride (he had cerebral palsy, I believe, and used a chair) fell sideways and backwards out of his seat, and the ride had high sides. He was airborne from the bunny hills, and thus was high enough out of the seat to tumble sideways in the turn.

Is there a sharp turn on any of the hills of the Texas Giant that would replicate that?

[Thrill_Biscuit]

Aren't restraint systems designed to be "resting" in a locked configuration unless it is at a point along the circuit where hydraulic pins/mechanisms have to force them into "unlocked" mode (such as the station, or an e-stop point)?

[Diamondbacker27]

The Topic should be changed to the name "Death at Six Flags Texas with a lot if talk about restraints and them not clicking all the time." I'm just playing with you guys. But seriously its a tragic thing and my Prayers go toward the Family.

[Shaggy]

Update, with video interview:

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20130719-texas-giant-to-remain-closed-as-six-flags-investigates-woman-s-fall.ece

I don't believe the woman in this interview. She's embellishing.

[The Interpreter]

Especially about the click thing. There are no clicks.

[faeriewench]

Wow, this is truly one of the worst days for amusement parks, this and the Cedar Point incident, I am speechless. Want me to add to this even more, I am going to bold this so more people will read; My best friend since 5th grade just returned from Daytona Beach this past weekend, only to tell me he was going to get to visit Six Flags over Texas this week. I was so happy for him, I told him he MUST ride the NEW Texas Giant. He was at the park on Thursday the 18th, the day before the event and happened to ride the Texas Giant. These were his words, "Most airtime I have ever gotten on a coaster, second best drop to Millennium Force and third favorite woodie." Ridiculous to think that he had ridden this the day before it all happened, just like how I drove by Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom for a school baseball game on the same day that the incident on Hellavator occurred.

My prayers go out to the families affected by this tragedy and hopefully this will lead to many more safety measures on coasters everywhere. I have always been fond of Texas Giant ever since I watched it on America's Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills, this is such a shame. After watching the news report it is almost surreal to see the scene as the ride is closed and crews are surrounding the ride, just devastating.

That story reminds Me if the day before the major Son of Beast accident. I was at spirit song and it was in between shows I went out to use the restroom. As I was leaving timberwolf a guy was on his phone and I heard him say "Son of Beast crashed?" I went over there and it was shutdown but not got crashing. The very next day it would have it's accident and lose its loop.

As for this accident, if she ready was making a commotion about not being secured wouldn't another op e stop or even not send the train?

I'm sure it takes multiple ops to send a train.

I was working in Action Zone, sweeping around Top Gun's entrance at the time of the SOB 2006 incident. There was a lady ride op sitting at the entrance of SOB and the phone rings, after she hangs up puts a can in place and went running for the station. Was not a fun afternoon that's for sure.

Thoughts and prayers to the lady's family. :/ I hate tragedies like this.

[Shaggy]

That cat in the New England Superman ride (he had cerebral palsy, I believe, and used a chair) fell sideways and backwards out of his seat, and the ride had high sides. He was airborne from the bunny hills, and thus was high enough out of the seat to tumble sideways in the turn.

Is there a sharp turn on any of the hills of the Texas Giant that would replicate that?

I was referring to the Superman ROS at Six Flags Darien lake - where the passenger fell out of the train as it hit the final brake run. The passenger was missing his legs as I recall.

In regards to the Superman New England (now Bizarro) incident, there are no high sides to the train. Actually, there are NO sides to the train. It uses open-air style trains by Intamin. You mentioned the rider had a physical handicap - Cerebral Palsy - and was obsese. These contributed to his fall.

Again, as terrible as the SFOT accident is, I still believe several factors will be found as contributing factors. I believe a physical limitation - likely obsesity- may have played a part in this, as it often does.

[The Interpreter]

The Darien Lake incident that occurred as the ride opened involved a guest of exceptional size. There were no seatbelts at the time.

The incident with the veteran with no legs occurred many years later.

[The Interpreter]

Six Flags Won't Speculate On Accident Cause, Investigation Continues:

http://www.kens5.com/news/Six-Flags-wont-speculate-on-cause-of-fatal-accident-216289331.html

[Dieseltech20]

First hand witnesses are rarely used in Court....for good reason.

[Tanna]

The Darien Lake incident that occurred as the ride opened involved a guest of exceptional size. There were no seatbelts at the time.

The incident with the veteran with no legs occurred many years later.

Thank you, yes,

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/03/us/man-dies-after-fall-from-roller-coaster.html

This was the guy I was referring to, I feel really bad for the passenger right behind him, who tried to help him by holding onto his suspenders.

One day, all roller coasters will be named Superman, so that we all may be thoroughly confused when speaking of ride incidents.

[UnrealNightmare]

I too can confirm that there are no clicks on Texas Giant. Having ridden it over 100 times and I still call it my favorite coaster I still feel terrible that this had to take place no matter who's at fault. But most of the time these accidents are either rider or operator error. There's only a few that I can think of that were actual mechanical failure.

[TheBEASTunchained]

http://www.gerstlauer-rides.de/assets/downloads/brochures/HybridCoasterTrains.pdf

http://www.gerstlauer-rides.de/produkte/holzachterbahnzuege/hybrid-achterbahnzuege/

Not in English......So I can't read them but they are the pages from Gerstlauer's website about the Texas Giant/hybrid coaster trains...

[jcgoble3]

^ The PDF contains both English (in blue) and German (in black).

Google Translate result of the webpage: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.gerstlauer-rides.de/produkte/holzachterbahnzuege/hybrid-achterbahnzuege/

[mullimann]

The trains for NTAG use hydraulic locks, basicly a piston that once the valve is closed in the station it cannot retract.

This is they same type of restraint used in WindSeeker, drop zone, Delirium, thus why they don't "click" just push down.

Thats why you hear that air release when they "up bar" on some rides.

Typically there are 2 pistons per restraint for redundancy. But the seatbelts offer a double redundancy, if both of those valves were to fail, the belt would hold you until it reaches breaking point of the belt/bolt.

Just like the click system has its own redundancy, each side of the locking bar can withstand the max force its designed for.

But again many parks use a double redundancy of a seatbelt.

In the end, the outcome will be seatbelts will become standard in most all amusement rides. Parks, manufacturers and insurance companies will determine the slower dispatch is cheaper than the potential future lawsuits.

Most every ride at FUN parks have them already,

I also expect that companies may also begin to enforce the "guest of exceptional porportions" policies more. Basicly if they have to "click" you now, they won't in the future. If you cannot obtain the requirement without assistance then they will ask you to step off.

Im a big guy and sometimes on DB i've needed that lil push, but i also don't want to be the one that could force a part to break while i am on it. Yeah the walk of shame sucks, but I'll skip the rivertown potato company if i cant fit in The Beast.

[Creed Bratton]

Most every ride at FUN parks have them already,

Yet 2 rides at KI have recently had their belts taken away.

[Jasper]

^Last time I was on Delirium the restraints clicked and as far as I know they still click then they are lowered.

[coasterfanatic83]

Woman identified.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/person-thrown-from-six-flags-texas-giant-ride-killed-dies-216239501.html

[Tanna]

That cat in the New England Superman ride (he had cerebral palsy, I believe, and used a chair) fell sideways and backwards out of his seat, and the ride had high sides. He was airborne from the bunny hills, and thus was high enough out of the seat to tumble sideways in the turn.

Is there a sharp turn on any of the hills of the Texas Giant that would replicate that?

I was referring to the Superman ROS at Six Flags Darien lake - where the passenger fell out of the train as it hit the final brake run. The passenger was missing his legs as I recall.

In regards to the Superman New England (now Bizarro) incident, there are no high sides to the train. Actually, there are NO sides to the train. It uses open-air style trains by Intamin. You mentioned the rider had a physical handicap - Cerebral Palsy - and was obsese. These contributed to his fall.

Again, as terrible as the SFOT accident is, I still believe several factors will be found as contributing factors. I believe a physical limitation - likely obsesity- may have played a part in this, as it often does.

Thanks for the picture. That gives me more clarity into what happened. If I remember, the restraints shown in this photo are not the restraints that were in place at the time of the accident? The accident report noted a "T bar" restraint that would not close down at all.

[BavarianBeatle]

First hand witnesses are rarely used in Court....for good reason.

Really...?

[Dieseltech20]

All the stuff in this post and you want to pick at mine? lol. I worded it wrong, so get off my back.

Way wrong actually, which is why it was ignored, of course you have to change that.

[The Interpreter]

And I'm not picking on anyone with this--parks do not make safety changes just to avoid lawsuits. Safety matters as first priorty. Park owners' kids, friends and relatives ride, too. No one wants deaths or injuries. Lawsuit avoidance is way down the list when safety is concerned. Of course it matters, but it is far from a primary driver when real risk of death or injury is involved.

[SonofBaconator]

Kinda unrelated but I don't care for Six Flags in the slightest. I mean they do have some great parks but in reality, the majority of their parks have turned to trash. I think they have terrible customer service and they are more focused on "fun" then they are safety. If the same girl mentioned something about her restraints at KI, or any other Cedar Fair park, they would not question what she said and would unleash the restraints until she was completely secure. So I think that Cedar Fair is a way better industry in many ways. That's my opinion so don't hate on it.

[The Interpreter]

Kinda unrelated but I don't care for Six Flags in the slightest. I mean they do have some great parks but in reality, the majority of their parks have turned to trash. I think they have terrible customer service and they are more focused on "fun" then they are safety. If the same girl mentioned something about her restraints at KI, or any other Cedar Fair park, they would not question what she said and would unleash the restraints until she was completely secure. So I think that Cedar Fair is a way better industry in many ways. That's my opinion so don't hate on it.

And on what park experiences when do you base this?

On the very same day that SFOT had this death, Cedar Point could have easily had seven deaths, had things been only slightly different.

It has not been proven the rider at Six Flags said anything about her restraint, or even what caused her death.

But you don't mind jumping to conclusions.

Comparisons like yours are not helpful.

[The Interpreter]

CBS Radio reports "Police do not suspect foul play."