Texas Giant Accident

[doc brown]

A woman has died after an accident on a rollercoaster at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington, Texas.

"We are deeply saddened to share that earlier this evening an adult woman died in the park while on the Texas Giant," Sharon Parker, communications manager for Six Flags Over Texas, told ABC News in a written statement. "Park medical staff and local paramedics responded immediately. Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends during this difficult time."

The accident happened just after 6:30 p.m. local time, The Associated Press reported, citing police records.

Official details were not immediately available on how the woman died

 

[bobwadd]

From abcNEWS

Six Flags Over Texas: Woman Dies While Riding 'Texas Giant' Rollercoaster


By MICHAEL S. JAMES

July 19, 2013


A woman has died after an accident on a rollercoaster at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park in Arlington, Texas.

"We are deeply saddened to share that earlier this evening an adult woman died in the park while on the Texas Giant," Sharon Parker, communications manager for Six Flags Over Texas, told ABC News in a written statement. "Park medical staff and local paramedics responded immediately. Since the safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority, the ride has been closed pending further investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends during this difficult time."

The accident happened just after 6:30 p.m. local time, The Associated Press reported, citing police records.

Official details were not immediately available on how the woman died.

The Texas Giant rollercoaster debuted as an all-wooden ride in 1990, and reopened in 2011 redesigned with a steel track, ABC News affiliate WFAA reported.

It rises 14 stories high and boasts "the steepest drop of any wooden coaster at 79 degrees," Six Flags Over Texas said on its website. "The new ride also has a record-breaking bank of 95 degrees, steeper than any other wooden coaster on the planet."

 

[Mad Dog]

TPI is reporting that the lady fell off the coaster. Additionally, TPI reports that a boat on the Cedar Point Shoot the Rapids type ride crashed injuring 10 people. A sad day today at the nation's parks.

 

[Hockeyman55]

What a sad and tragic day for sure.

 

[Obi Ubamba]

this is whats wrong with this sub par parks. things like this are far less likely to happen at more advanced parks like universal.

 

[UK-Trigg]

Terrible news and a very sad day for coaster fans everywhere. Thoughts go out to the family.

 

[snoman]

Horrible news. You know, it seems like Six Flags is usually the spot if there's a theme park accident and based on what I saw when they "took over" Sea World/Geauga Lake in Ohio safety is not so strictly adhered to. I haven't spent much time at six flags parks so just my perception but I know death and dismemberment never cross my mind at Disney and Universal, excpet at HHN of course.

 

[bobwadd]

Update


[video=youtube;EnNV6bQJ_6c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnNV6bQJ_6c[/video]

 

[Brian G.]

this is whats wrong with this sub par parks. things like this are far less likely to happen at more advanced parks like universal.

Really........:mean:

 

[maxairmike]

this is whats wrong with this sub par parks. things like this are far less likely to happen at more advanced parks like universal.

Ummm...overgeneralization is too general in this case. Let's wait until we have more facts before we start saying stuff like this. I've heard one witness statement that makes me wonder a few things about the restraints specifically. I have someone I want to talk to who knows a lot of technical engineering info about pretty much every type of coaster vehicle and restraint type out there about the Gerstlauer trains. It sounds like this could be (and likely is) a combination of a bad ride op, mechanical failure, and rider error.

 

[Hockeyman55]

One witness claimed to hear a conversation between the ride ops and victim about her lap bar clicking, or lack of clicking. But from what ive read those Gerstlauer trains use a hydraulic system and doesn't have that clicking sounds. Im not saying a mechanical failure wasn't a factor, it may have very well been a factor. I. Just saying to take what you hear from "witnesses" with a grain of salt until the authorities release an official statement

 

[Brian G.]

Just saying to take what you hear from "witnesses" with a grain of salt until the authorities release an official statement

Or maybe not try to use a tragic accident as a springboard to profess their fanboyism.

 

[Bryce]

this is whats wrong with this sub par parks. things like this are far less likely to happen at more advanced parks like universal.

Wow...

 

[blue180]

this accident makes me feel sick to my stomach. I cant imagine being on that coaster and seeing someone plunge to their death. I wouldn't be able to get myself back on a roller coaster. I will be following this one, as I am really curious as to what exactly went wrong.

 

[bobwadd]

Hm55 is correct about the use of a infinitely hydraulic lap bar system.


Gerstlauer Amusement Ride’s GMBH » References » North America » Texas Giant

Gerstlauer Amusement Ride’s GMBH » Hybrid Coaster Trains

 

[Capacity]

Did these trains use seatbelts under the lap bars? Or was it just the lap bars?

 

[Teebin]

They do perform the yank test on the lap restraints:

[video=youtube_share;IsrdajIr5J0]http://youtu.be/IsrdajIr5J0[/video]

 

[Milla4Prez66]

This is a horrible tragedy and my thoughts go out to the family.

I also don't think we need to turn this into a match of whose rides are safer, because accidents like this unfortunately are going to happen and can happen at any park. You can just hope we can learn from horrible accidents like this to continue making theme parks safer in the future.

 

[maxairmike]

Did these trains use seatbelts under the lap bars? Or was it just the lap bars?

Nope, no seat belts. Hydraulic restraints generally meet requirements that don't require a separate secondary restraint in case of the primary's failure due to a usual double or triple fail safe system created by the nature of the hydraulic systems (that I have knowledge and experience with regarding Intamin hydraulic restraints). This is also why you don't find seat belts on B&M mega coasters with the clamshell restraints, because within the primary restraint systems they're seen as adequate to not need that extra secondary system. And in all reality, they really are that safe.

I'm still trying to get information on these G trains as I've really not ridden in too many of them. I do know they have a go/no go indicator light for each restraint on the train, and I believe they are also detected in the main ride system so that the ride would not be dispatched unless it read the restraint as being locked. I'm not 100% on that, but so far that's what I understand.

 

[LHZY]

So this was not human error?