The Coaster Critic's Blog

Man Hit by Ninja at Six Flags Magic Mountain
Over the weekend, a man was hit by a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. According to the man's brother-in-law, he was trying to retrieve a hat that he lost on a nearby ride. This sounds a lot like the fatal accident at Six Flags Over Georgia earlier this summer. Just like that accident, you really can't blame Six Flags as the man trespassed before he was injured.

The park released a statement saying; “As required by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Ninja is surrounded by 6-foot and 7-foot fences that are clearly marked by signs stating the area is restricted to authorized personnel only.”

More at KHTS.

Have you ever lost something on a roller coaster? Did you try to retrieve it? Leave a comment below. Image courtesy of CoasterImage.

What is a Stand-Up Roller Coaster?

Stand-up roller coasters are steel roller coasters designed so that the riders stand during the course of the ride. Riders straddle a bicycle-like seat that adjusts for the riders height and are restrained by over-the-shoulder restraints. They are very similar to seated looping coasters and some roller coasters designed for sit-down trains have also added stand-up trains. The first coaster designed specifically for stand-up trains was King Cobra at Kings Island. It operated from 1984 to 2001. Like their seated counterparts, stand-up coasters typically offer loops.

Stand-Ups: A Dying Breed
Today, stand-ups are a dying breed. There are currently 15 in operation. There are 2 Intamin, 6 Togo, and 7 Bolliger & Mabillard stand-ups in operation around the world. Darien Lake has Six Flags Astroworld's Batman the Escape in storage. On my recent visit to Darien Lake, I asked park officials and they said the park has no plans for the coaster for now. The last new stand-up coaster was Georgia Scorcher which was built in 1999 at Six Flags Over Georgia. Riddler's Revenge is the current "King of the Stand-Ups" (for whatever it's worth) at 156 feet tall and over 4,300 feet long. It boasts six inversions including: a vertical loop, dive loop, dive loop, inclined loop, & 2 corkscrews.

In my opinion, stand-up coasters don't really add much to the looping coaster format. In fact, some stand-ups are not just rough from the loops, but have also given me an uncomfortable pressure in my lower legs. Mantis at Cedar Point was a big letdown. Check out my review here. And Shockwave at Kings Dominion is bad for a number of reasons. On the other end of the spectrum, I loved Chang at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain was about equally as good.

Notable Stand-Up Coaster Accidents
Last year, there was a death when Fujin Raijin II at Expoland in Japan derailed. According to RCDB, the accident gained national attention and the Japanese government required safety inspections. As a result many parks closed down their coasters when they could not afford the inspections. Read more about this accident. And in 1999 there was death on Shockwave at Kings Dominion. A 20 year-old man freed himself of the restraints and suffered fatal head trauma when he was thrown from the ride into a steel catwalk near the ride's final turn.


Check out this on-ride video of Riddler's Revenge at Magic Mountain:Read more Coasterology 101 entries. What do you think of stand-up roller coasters? Do you think there should be more stand-up roller coasters? Leave a comment below.

Haunted House Burns Down at Six Flags America
Six Flags America, located just east of Washington DC, has had its share of accidents in the past few years. Riders have been stuck on the Two Face roller coaster three times in the last 2 years. And last August a girl fell from a flat ride. This doesn't include the criminal activity that has occurred at the park.

Six Flags America Had A Haunted House?
Add to that list, the fire that recently burned down a haunted house. Thankfully, no one was injured. Before moving to NC, Six Flags America was my closest theme park, but I couldn't remember it having a haunted house until I saw the news footage. If you're familiar with the park it's right next to Roar. It was kind of thrown up for Fright Fest in October. During the rest of the season you probably didn't even notice it was there. So while it stinks that the park has completely lost this attraction, it's not a year-round true haunted house gem like Knoebels Haunted Mansion.

With all this bad luck for the park I have to start wondering if the Redskin curse is spreading to Six Flags. Things have gotten worse since 'Skins owner Dan Snyder gained control of the theme park chain. No matter what great players they get on their roster, they can never seem to put together a great season. It all stems from that hateful team name. OK honestly, I don't believe in curses, but I'll take any chance I can to take a shot at the Redskins.

Check out Washington DC's ABC affiliate WJLA's coverage of the fire: 'Fire Engulfs Haunted House Attraction.' The local news site doesn't quite have the video embedding capability working right, so here's our news correspondent Julian0197 from YouTube with an on the spot report:

Horrifying Accident at Six Flags Over Georgia, Teen Decapitated
A tragedy occurred at Six Flags Over Georgia on Saturday when a 17 year old boy was killed when he was struck by a roller coaster. Two teens had left the park for lunch and then returned. Instead of going back through the main gate they took a shortcut by jumping two six foot fences and entering a restricted area near Batman - The Ride. A clone of the ride at Great Adventure is in the picture to the right. The police report said that one of the boys jumped to try to touch the feet of the riders on the passing train. The boy was beheaded.

This is a sad story, but hopefully it will deter other kids from going into restricted areas and sneaking into theme parks. On my Kings Island trip last summer I remember seeing some teens hanging out in the woods near Top Gun. They had likely found a way to sneak into the park and were trespassing like the boys at Six Flags Over Georgia.

Below is a video of CNN's coverage:

Riders Stranded on Sky Cabin at Knotts Berry Farm
The sky cabin is a 225-foot observation tower at Knotts Berry Farm near Los Angeles. Sunday night, 24 passengers were stranded on the ride when it was about 50 feet above the ground. Firefighters rescued the riders after a 2 hour scare. No injuries were reported.

More at the LA Times.

Have you ever ridden the Sky Cabin at Knotts? Have you ever been stuck on an amusement park ride? Leave a comment below.

Accident on Cedar Point's Wildcat, Nine Treated for Minor Injuries

Man Dies After Riding Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World
Today, a man died after riding the Expedition Everest roller coaster at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. The 44-year-old man was unresponsive when the ride was over. He was given CPR and pronounced dead at a hospital. Apparently, he had no visible signs of injury. An autopsy will be conducted to see if the man had pre-existing medical conditions. Disney claims that the Expedition is working properly, but has closed the ride temporarily.

This is another sad story, that's unfortunately becoming all to familiar. There have been a number of similar incidents involving heart attacks on roller coasters in the past couple of years. This could be another case. The man's fitness and overall health likely caused this tragedy. Either way keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

The full story is at the Orlando Sentinel
To watch a video of Expedition Everest see my Top 3 Disney Coasters post.

Are Roller Coaster Accidents More Common Today?
I sometimes wonder if theme park accidents are really that much more common these days or because of the Internet, and availability of information, we're just being exposed to every instance. I'm sure there are some stats out there on the Web to show prove or disprove an increase in accidents.

It's not like roller coasters are becoming more dangerous. They're doing a better job than ever of giving an illusion or perception of danger (see Kingda Ka), but coasters are still the safest mode of transportation by a long shot. I broke down the chances of dying on a roller coaster in my Hulk Saves Woman post.

What do you think about this latest accident at Disney's Animal Kingdom? Will the number of accidents in the past few years keep you from riding roller coasters? Leave a comment below.

Chronic Breakdown Coaster Two Face Breaks Down Again
Two Face: The Flip Side broke down again this weekend at Six Flags America located near Washington D.C. This is almost not even news. This is at least the third break down in 2 years for the shuttle roller coaster. This time riders were stranded 10 stories in the air for two hours.

More at the Washington Post.

6-Year Old Girl Falls from Ride | Six Flags America

There was yet another accident at a theme park. Last Friday, a child fell from the "Octopus" at Six Flags America in Largo, MD. Thankfully, her injuries were not life threatening. She suffered hip, leg, and head injuries, but is expected to be fine.

Apparently the 6-year old girl stood up on the ride just as it was starting to move. Park officials say she was then thrown about 4 feet, while witnesses say it was more like 25 feet. Either way, it's good to hear that the girl will be okay.

This latest theme park accident seems to be a clear case of rider error. More info at: NBC4.com

Photo courtesy of NBC4.com

Fatal Accident at Rye Playland in New York

A young woman was killed in a freak accident at Playland in Rye, New York. The woman was a ride operator on the 'Mind Scrambler', a scrambler type of ride similar to the one pictured to the left. She was trying to settle down some rambunctious kids on the ride when she was struck with one of the ride cars.

A girl was killed on the same ride just a few years ago. She was reportedly sitting on her knees on the ride and was thrown.

More at NY Daily News.

Drop Rides Shutdown at Cedar Fair Parks
The Associated Press has reported that the Drop Zone, a drop tower ride at Kings Dominion has been closed as a result of the accident involving a girls feet being severed on a drop ride at a Six Flags park. Cedar Fair has ordered similar rides closed at the Paramount parks it acquired last year. As a safety precaution drop rides at Kings Island (Cincinnati, OH) Kings Dominion (Doswell, VA), Carowinds (Charlotte, NC), Canada's Wonderland (Ontario, Canada) and Great America (Santa Clara, CA).

Although, Drop Zone (pictured left) is a different type of drop ride, it's probably a good idea that Cedar Fair closes these rides. Hopefully, the ongoing investigation will shed some light on the cause of the accident.

Do you think Cedar Fair is doing the right thing by closing its drop rides? Leave a comment below.

Girls Feet Severed on Thrill Ride at Louisville Six Flags
Needless to say, this season hasn't been without its share of amusement park accidents. This most recent incident is by far the most gruesome. On Thursday, a 13-year old girl had her feet severed while riding Superman Power of Tower at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville.

The Power of Tower is a drop ride that stands 177 feet tall with a 157 foot free fall that reaches speeds of 54 miles per hour. (Pictured right) The ride was formerly known as Hellevator. Allegedly, during the drop a cable severed the girl's legs at the ankles.

“When I got up there, the lady was just sitting there and she didn’t have no legs,” Smith said. “She didn’t have no legs at all. She was just calm, probably in shock from everything.”

Read the rest of this sad story here.
Also, more at the WashingtonPost.

Will this recent rash of roller coaster and thrill ride accidents deter you from visiting theme parks this summer? Leave a comment below. Photo courtesy of CoasterImage.

Timber Tower Strands Riders for Hours
"Forty four guests were stranded on Dollywood's Timber Tower amusement ride Saturday night as the attraction was beginning its cycle.

According to sources, the passenger vehicle became stuck at the top of the tower, causing the ride's emergency safety system to engage. The passengers remained at the top of the tower for nearly three hours while waiting to be rescued.

While no one was hurt, the nearby Pigeon Forge and Sevierville Fire Departments were called in to help get the guests off the ride.

A spokesman for Dollywood noted that Timber Tower will remain closed pending an internal investigation."

X Coaster at Magic Springs Hangs Rider 150' In the Air
Magic Springs & Crystal Falls (Hot Springs, Arkansas) was the site of an unnerving scene on Sunday. A Maurer Söhne X-Car Coaster named X Coaster left 12 riders suspended upside down 150 feet up, when the park experienced a power outage. The riders were upside down for 30 minutes until firefighters were able to rescue them with a ladder.

One of the riders was sent to a local hospital after reporting a headache and neck pain. Everyone else was red in the face but otherwise okay. I wonder if we'll see fewer of these X-Car Coasters installed in the States now. Apparently momentary power outages have occurred at the park in the past with out any problems. The ride is closed while investigation into the cause of the accident continues.

Here's a roller coaster video of X-Coaster & Gauntlet at Magic Springs:

Thanks to SpaceMonk for breaking this story.
Check out the full story here.

The 2007 season has been a bit rocky for Cedar Point. First, Maverick's opening was delayed and now there was an accident on the park's marquee roller coaster, Magnum XL-200. One train rear-ended another after it wasn't stopped by the final brakes.

I hope that they're able to figure out what caused the accident and fix it. Magnum XL-200 is nothing short of a roller coaster landmark. It's also number 9 in my Top 10 Roller Coasters and number 5 in my Top 10 Steel Roller Coasters.

Check out the full story.

1 dies, 21 injured at Expoland in Japan
The Washington Post reported that there was an accident at Expoland an amusement park in Osaka, Japan. An axle on the Togo Stand Up coaster known as Fujin Raijin II broke. Pictures of the coaster can be found here. This is not the first roller coaster death on a Togo Stand Up. In 1999, a rider was killed on Shockwave at Kings Dominion. That accident was ruled rider's negligence as the rider freed himself of the restraints during the ride. This case at Expoland appears to be from a malfunction of the ride itself. The ride is currently closed.

As I pointed out in a post last May, you have a 1 in 1.5 billion chance of being fatally injured on a roller coaster. Every time you get behind the wheel of a car your chances are much, much worse (1 in 18,000). In case your not great with numbers, it's a lot more likely you'd be injured in a car, plane, or just walking outside than while riding a roller coaster. Events like these are tragic, but very rare considering the number of roller coasters in the world (over 2,000) and the number of rides given.

More at the Washington Post
Photo courtesy of AP

This summer has been a tough one for the theme park industry in terms of accidents and coaster-related deaths. After an already eventful season with several incidents, July ended with two more deaths. One incident invovled a rider who had just ridden Six Flags over Georgia's brand new Goliath roller coaster. The other recent incident happened at Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, FL. A 52 year-old man died shortly after riding Gwazi.

In both cases, and in the vast majority of cases, the causes appear to be a result of underlying medical conditions. Which reinforces the importance of posted health warnings at ride stations and queues. Aside from the deaths, there have been an unusual amount of breakdowns and non-lifethreatening accidents. Son of Beast, Volcano: The Blast Coaster, and Wild Thing are a few that have fallen victim to accidents resulting in downtime for the rides. Hopefully, this season will end without anymore deaths or accidents.

The Flipside of Roller Coaster Accidents
There's been a lot of news lately about coaster accidents. You're still a lot safer on a roller coaster than pretty much all other moving vehicles. It's the percieved danger that makes it fun. In a car chances of death are 1 in 18,000 and in a plane chances of death are 1 in 350,000. You even have a better chance of dying from parts falling off an airplane (1 in 10,000,000). In comparison, you have a 1 in 1.5 billiion chance of being fatally injured on a coaster. I'll take my chances on that 15-story, looping steel coaster any day over a drive on the Capital Beltway.

Usually the accidents on roller coasters have been a result of rider negligence (ie. standing up or slipping out of a restraint) or a pre-existing condition that someone had prior to riding the coaster. And here's a story of the Incredible Hulk at Islands of Adventure actually saving a life.