Well, you go ahead and protest a major problem that the park needs to have time to fix. Go ahead, I will personally call Mason Police.

They're going to do whatever the safest, smartest course of action is. If it's not in your best interest to be able to ride SOB in two weeks, then so be it.

Flight, I really don't see Sonny open again this year...as it will probably take a long time to figure out what happened and an even longer time to corect it. If anything good at all comes out of this it is that there is a possibility (Oh, plz God!) that SoB will get some new trains, if the trains are part of what caused the problem.

Flight, I really don't see Sonny open again this year...as it will probably take a long time to figure out what happened and an even longer time to corect it. If anything good at all comes out of this it is that there is a possibility (Oh, plz God!) that SoB will get some new trains, if the trains are part of what caused the problem.

You know it's always funny, whenever we think rides will be closed for a long time they never seem to be, however if a ride has a seemingly minor problem it's closed for a month. An example would be how everything thought Flight of Fear was going to close for a month a few weeks ago because of an incident that happened at another park, but it was inspected and reopened hours later.

I hope this unfortunate incident does cause them to acquire new trains. I personally would prefer the trains that are on the Lightning Racer at Hershey Park. They seem to be more flexible which would create, what I would think, a more smoother ride.

Prayers go out to all the victims for a quick recovery.

i think they need to take thier time and FULLY inspect this ride and see if its worth re-opening

I hope this unfortunate incident does cause them to acquire new trains. I personally would prefer the trains that are on the Lightning Racer at Hershey Park. They seem to be more flexible which would create, what I would think, a more smoother ride.

Prayers go out to all the victims for a quick recovery.

New Trains would be very nice! I'm 6'2" 220lbs and I have a hard time fitting in the cars. My knees hit and well, the seat is just plain too small!

-adam12

People just dont like to read or listen. They think they know better and that nothing will happen to them.

Well, here's my .02 on that subject. 15 years ago, I had back surgery due to an extreme curvature of my spine. I have two titanium rods in my back that keep me straight. This also kept me from riding coasters for about five years, much to my chagrin. Anywho, I CAN read the signs and I don't assume I know better nor do I think that nothing will happen to me. What I do is strap in, hold on, and pray that nothing will happen to me. Could I injure my back? Certainly. Will I stop riding? Not until something actually causes me pain.

I'm sure PKI, Cedar Fair, and the inspectors will do there job to best of there ability to find out what caused the issue to begin with. Then they will decide if it's worth fixing.

Would it cost more money to fix the problem or remove the ride?

Lol, Adam12, I'm only 5'7" and 140 lbs and I have trouble getting my legs to fit inthe dang cars, and the restraints are terribly huge...i spend the entire time going up the lift hill shifting in my seat trying to get in a position where i can sit up straight and not get bruises on my knees...

I got brusied up pretty bad back in June after riding SOB in the front car. However I rode 2 times on July 4th once in 4-2 and another 5-2, and I didn't have any problems.

If it is decided that SOB will be dismantled, then I will consider myself lucky to have rode it. I wouldn't be happy about it, but, CF must decide what is best for everyone.

It was cracked wood that did it...at least thats what they're saying for now...but they say they're not ruling anything else out....

Report

Ok, having jsut been at the park and speaking with some people, this was not as serious as you think, the people taken to the hospital were taken just to make sure everything was ok and I'm sure they were fine, the SOB crew did what they were supposed to in the situation, this wasnt reallly an accident per say, and it has been extremely over-hyped by the media, I saw the WCPO news report on tv, they got A LOT of details wrong, the ride is perfectly safe as well as the whole park, the news is just over hyped, most at the park had no idea anything happened!

Thanks for posting this. However it is true the media over does it with the facts. PKI is a safe park and Ill sill go and already buying my pass for next year.

Ok, having jsut been at the park and speaking with some people, this was not as serious as you think, the people taken to the hospital were taken just to make sure everything was ok and I'm sure they were fine, the SOB crew did what they were supposed to in the situation, this wasnt reallly an accident per say, and it has been extremely over-hyped by the media, I saw the WCPO news report on tv, they got A LOT of details wrong, the ride is perfectly safe as well as the whole park, the news is just over hyped, most at the park had no idea anything happened!

Thanks for posting this. However it is true the media over does it with the facts. PKI is a safe park and Ill sill go and already buying my pass for next year.

I'll agree that overall the park is safe, but to say this was not a serious incident is looking at it thorugh rose-colored glasses. I know many love PKI but the fact is it looks like SOB has some serious structural issues.

Wasn't really an accident? (I think that has been proven to be a false statement) Over-hyped by the media? (I'll give you that one - at least initially- the local media over-hypes everything). The ride is perfectly safe?

Well, I guess so, except for some cracked and splintered wood supports at a critical area of the ride, it's perfectly fine.

Nice find, coaster chickie! I wonder if this cracked wood is near the loop section that everyone has been talking about.

I am confused a little bit. WCPO reports that witnesses reported that they saw the roller coaster stop with a "bump," like a car coming to an abrupt stop. If this is true, how did the train complete a full cycle?

So where did they come to an abrupt stop at? By the way i think that this is the fastest growing topic i have ever seen.

Wow, if what the Enquirer is reporting is correct (Structural Failure in one or more timbers), then I would be really surprised if you see SoB reopen this year. Structures are designed with a certain factor of safety, and to have a failure of any sort will require a thorough investigation as to determine how and why the failure occurred. Was it fatigue? Was the wood not up to grade? Did the live load (the train) cause the failure? Those are all possibilities that will need to be examined, and some options will have more devastating repercussions than others.

I hate to say it, but the civil engineer inside me equates failure with a really thorough investigation, and I can't help but think something, somewhere, went terribly wrong.

When do you think it will open agian?

Have you forgotten how rough that stop is at the ready brakes? Thats probabily what everyone was referring to.

So where did they come to an abrupt stop at? By the way i think that this is the fastest growing topic i have ever seen.

It's the 2nd most viewed topic in the whole history of PKIC... and it's less than 24hrs old.

Yes, I heard the "wood splinters" thing, but judging by the poor job of the media on this one, I have trouble believing that.

Huh, I could have sworn the enquirer had the inspectors comment about cracked wood, but I can't find it now. But, looking at the WCPO article, they have the investigation's comments about cracked wood stated.

I know they have a bad track record with getting this story right, but I don't think a structural failure would stay on WCPO's website for too long if it was not true.

I am confused a little bit. WCPO reports that witnesses reported that they saw the roller coaster stop with a "bump," like a car coming to an abrupt stop. If this is true, how did the train complete a full cycle?

I was coming here to ask that as well. I am so confused.

This does not completely explain where the bad wood is but there is definitely bad wood on the ride - not a brake issue, not normal rough riding.

State inspectors shut down the Son of Beast roller coaster indefinately after finding “structural problems†with the ride this morning.

A timber – one of the ride's wooden support beam– is “cracked and had actually splintered in places,†said Fred Dailey, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture this afternoon.

Dailey and his team walked the tracks today to figure out what went wrong on the ride Sunday that sent 27 people to local hospitals. The ride has been shut down since 4:45 p.m. Sunday.

Only two people remain hospitalized this afternoon, park officials said.

“It was obvious there was a failure of the timber and maybe more than one,†said Dailey.

While the problem would not have caused the train to leave the track, it could have caused a depression that would have created a bump in the ride, he said. That would explain riders’ complaints that they felt a sharp jolt while on the ride.

The problem timbers are on a short section of track on one of the coaster’s hills. Dailey says it likely broke at the time of the accident or one or two rides prior.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...EWS01/307100020

wow.....thats horrible but i have faith that our engineers and park officials will handle this freak accident to the fullest extent.

but i still dont see them tearing SOB down for this.

Didnt PKI sue the builders of SOB for flaws in design, lumber in 2000

Didnt PKI sue the builders of SOB for flaws in design, lumber in 2000

About that here

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/12/1..._firm_says.html

So where did they come to an abrupt stop at? By the way i think that this is the fastest growing topic i have ever seen.

It's the 2nd most viewed topic in the whole history of PKIC... and it's less than 24hrs old.

Yes, I heard the "wood splinters" thing, but judging by the poor job of the media on this one, I have trouble believing that.

What's Number One?

Don't know if this has been posted yet? But here is a page that I found.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/reviews/pa...east/accidents/