http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...s.1ed3fa73.html

07:55 AM CST on Monday, March 13, 2006

WFAA-TV

The Texas Tornado ride at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington is likely to remain closed Monday as park engineers try to determine what caused at least four people to suffer minor injuries.

The Texas Tornado is described as a circular swing ride, which is suspended in the air.

Six Flags released a statement that said the Texas Tornado experienced an "unexpected interruption" shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday. As the operator shut down the ride, as he was trained to do, some of the chairs came to a jolting stop, according to the company.

Patrons were treated at the first aid station for minor injuries. One woman was hospitalized with back pain.

Jamie Peakell, who was on the ride with her two children and niece, talked to News 8 via cellphone while she was en route to a hospital.

"All of a sudden we heard a loud pop, and the swings went from OK to, basically, they collapsed," she said. "It was like bumper cars. It was horrible. ... My kids were in front of me and the swings got really, really loose. My kids were screaming [and] my niece was screaming."

The Texas Tornado ride debuted at Six Flags in 1983 and was moved to its current location in the "Boomtown" section in 1989, according to ParkTimes.com, a Web site that documents the history of the theme park and its attractions.

Six Flags, located midway between Dallas and Fort Worth on Interstate 30, is open daily this week to accommodate young people on spring break.

Dallas Morning News staff writer Marissa Alanis contributed to this report.

That is not good news. But at least no one was severly hurt.

It doesn't sound like a big deal in my opinion