2 accidents today in Europe...

First, a train stalled on the Pinfari Xpress coaster at Nigloland, a small amusement park in France. The coaster goes by the name of "Bat Coaster" and seems like there was quite a bit of wind.. causing the train to stop in a brake zone (there's a block brake in the middle of the ride). What the owner of the park mentionned is that they got a crane or some kind of machinery to get the train started again... But, for some kind of reason, the train just got going again and hit the machinery. 5 people were injured... 3 lightly, 1 for multiple fractures and another had to get emergency surgery... There's a picture, as well as a news update (in french) on this link. The picture shows the stalled train after the accident.

http://www.centralpark-fr.com/leforum/viewtopic.php?t=9667

Also today, at the Guilena Zoo, near Sevilla, Spain, a 2001 Wave Swinger just broke. The central axis broke and tipped the top of the structure on its side. 33 people were on the ride at the time and 18 were injured.

Same thing as for the other accident, this link has 2 pictures of the broken structure as well as a french news update.

http://www.centralpark-fr.com/leforum/viewtopic.php?t=9668

Sorry if I didn't submit it to news... I'm still looking for a news update in english. Ok, got one that mentions the spanish accident, http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2005/04/09/989734-ap.html

This one mentions 15 injured. *** Edited 4/10/2005 4:03:27 AM UTC by Absimilliard***

That wave swinger accident is bizzare and scarey. I wonder how something like that could happen.

isn't that the second waveswinger to do something like that? I could have sworn I remember reading about one tipping over in the past...

scary stuff

-- alan jacyszyn

Those Wave Swinger rides can be extremely safe! However, just like Yo-Yos, major failures resulting in multiple injuries have been known to occur when they are inproperly maintained. I have a feeling that this is the result of someone just not checking the part they were supposed to. *** Edited 4/10/2005 8:50:10 AM UTC by Fun***

Read it. Last maintanance check was in JULY!!!!! No a ride can not go almost a year without being inspected.

It states annual inspection, not maintenance check. While maybe things are more lax over there, I would think the inspection in July was an annual inspection by the state, not the park.

Also, you can translate those French posts into English with an online translator:

http://babelfish.altavista.com

Thanks for the translator link bigkirby.

Shouldn't all of the Bat Coaster riders have been evacuated before the train was allowed to move again? I believe that's standard operating procedure here in the US, but maybe that's not the standard in France. It could and should have been an easily avoided accident.

That Wave Swinger accident is just scary!

Regarding the Bat Coaster, its standard procedure for all parks in France.. except for Nigloland I guess. They're putting it now as a human error. The cherry picker was there to get riders off but for some reason, the train was released from the brakes and slammed into the cherry picker.

Shouldn't the train have been chained to prevent movement in such a situation?

Shouldn't the ride have been locked out/tagged out?

Here's a newspaper clip in french detailing the Bat Coaster accident. Look at the state the train is in!

http://img220.exs.cx/img220/917/photo0246zn.jpg

Let me clear the air on this ride.... it wasent one made by Zierer whos most known for there waveswingers here in the US and all arround the world. this particular one was made as a clone from Preston & Barbieri there name for it is the flying swinger.
http://www.prestonbarbieri.com/view/2/4/87.htm

so with that said i'd say the ones here shouldent and havent had a problem although i think this raises awareness of maintenace

the swing that colapsed at the zoo was only built in 2001