Intamin restraints called into question after recent accident

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5th time? SFDL, KBF, Oakwood, SFNE....?

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You are forgetting about PGA. In 1999, a 12-year-old boy fell from Drop Zone, an Intamin freefall tower.

Actually, the state report could be quite informative. If you get the chance, read the Cal-DOSH report on the Big Thunder fatality. Very enlightening.

remember they had to modify the trains on collosus at Thorpe park (UK)

The investigation has been completed and I have learned the results from a very reliable source. What they found seems consistent with all of the eyewitness reports. The lap belt apparently was not long enough to go around this man, and someone decided just to let him ride. Also, the lap bar apparently would not secure properly so they ended up securing it under the man's belly. As most of his weight and center of gravity was above the lap bar, and with no lap belt secured, the g's on the last turn simply pulled him right out. Although I do not know, I suspect that perhaps he was leaning (or at least his weight was transferred to) that side of the car and he was not ready for the turn and didn't/couldn't shift his weight back to the center. Operator/restraint checker error was the cause, and design flaws by Intamin too. Both the lap belt and lap bar are critical to this restraint system. How can it be that someone can simply unlach the lap belt at any time, and the ride can mechanically operate without all lap belts secured? I have riden this ride dozens of times and never felt unsafe. Of course, I was always aware that both restraints were properly engaged. My condolences to the family.

Confirmation?

Until we see it in the press, that's still speculation.

I'm comfortable with saying that I think I could wiggle my way out of Superman at SFDL with a little bit of time, and I'm of "average proportions." I can't say the same thing about Dragster because the seat is too deep. I want to say I'm thinking of the Huss giants that also have very deep seats.

just a quick question......When they said they were going to close all intamin rides with the T-Bar restraint did they mean every single ride like MF and TTD and all the other S: ROS or just the ones in MASS?*** This post was edited by Dragster 5/4/2004 1:14:36 PM ***

SFNE Freak, the t-bar itself may be the same, but there are other factors that contribute to the securing of the rider. The height of the seat, the depth of the seat and the height of the floor pan all contribute to restraining the rider. I’ve rode DL’s Superman and SFA’s Superman coasters and I spent years working with Millennium Force, I can tell you that the trains are very different. Particularly in the 2nd row of each car where the seats are raised.

The state report should be out by the end of the week. As for relying on the press, I wouldn't. The media has made a big deal out of the fact that the ride is now closed indefinately. The fact is that the entire Park is closed on weekdays this month. As for the restraints, I think I too might be able to wiggle around an untight SROS lap bar, but I do not think I could do it with a lap belt secured.

rentzy17 -

Did you also consider the fact that most of B&M's sport horse-collar restraints and that the Intamin fatalities and seat ejection incidents involved a lap-bar system?

kRaXLeRidAh, rentzy17 reffered to the B&M hyper coasters, not their other types of coasters.

I just spoke with one of my friend who works at SFGADV and she stated exactly what Martin Legg said!

Massachusetts thinks they're accomplishing something by demanding all tbar restraint rides to be closed in Mass. but are there any others?

My only thought is that perhaps the ride-op felt/feels that the lap belt is just a back-up and not really necessary, because, after all, it is latched and unlatched by the rider him/herself, whereas the lap bar locks into place. If that is the case, just how important could it be? That lap belt is not only important, in my view it is critical to a safe ride on SROS. Last week while boarding SROS I noticed that a man was not allowed to ride because, for whatever reason, he couldn't secure the restraints. Also, is it wise to have such young kids performing such a critical task at these parks? Are they capable of handling a disgruntled patron who is told he/she can't ride because they are too big? Perhaps too easy for them to avoid confrontation and let them ride, and keep their fingers crossed.

I think something that should be looked at is the type of seat that Intamin uses. They really have no sides to them besides that small barring giving you more wiggle room. Whereas on B&M's you kind of sink into the seat so that it kinda craddles you a bit more. I also feel alot looser on S:ROS at SFA then I do on say Nitro at Gadv. Then again, while i felt looser I never felt like I could come out of the ride. Seat design though is something I think that should be looked at.

Notice the difference:

http://rcdb.com/installationgallery1106.htm?Picture=1

http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery541.htm?Picture=2*** This post was edited by roosel 5/4/2004 2:36:06 PM ***

Martin,

That's very interesting and would seem to vindicate the design of the restraints. I really couldn't see that both the primary and secondary restraints could fail in the sense of either a mechnical failure or just in the sense that their proper operation would fail to keep someone of appropriate dimensions in the ride.

In comparing Intermin and B&M rides people seem to be jumping to the conclusion that the poorer safety record of Intimin rides must point to some inherent problem with the restraints. However, what of the guidelines issued by the manufacturers and any hand they might have in ride op training? Who's to say that something along these lines aren't to blame. It would appear that there is an element of judgement (guesswork) involved in the decision of whether to let someone ride or not. Could this problem not be solved by a "test seat" located on the station platform, such as you would find at the entrance to many coasters these days. The manufacturers could design this seat such that the restraint must acheive a specified level of closure (indicated by an audible or visual cue to the ride op) in order for the person to be able to ride. This would take out the guess work for ride ops, and would clearly indicate to the person that it would be unsafe for them to ride and that the decision is not just prejudice or poor judgement on the ride ops part.

As for a ride op not checking a seat belt/someone undoing their seatbelt, well, what can we say other than, this would not be such an issue if a person was of appropriate dimensions to be secured by the primary restraints.

Best, B

According to the statistics in the article Intamin states that around 800 to 900 milliion people take rides on Intamin rides each season. So considering that there 5 major accidents (4 fatal accidents)since 1999, that would be a major accident every year. The 2004 operating season has only been a month in, and the 1999 accident on the Drop Zone Intamin second generation drop ride at Paramounts Great America, was I think around August.

So the 5 years include part 0f 1999, all of 2000,2001,2002,2003, and a part of 2004 operating season. Doing some basic math, and using the lower numer (800 million riders), there has been 4 billion rides total during the 5 years, and a total of 5 major accidents. This results in a 1 in 800 million chance of a major accident occuring on an Intamin designed ride.Even though this is a really slim chance of being injured on an Intamin designed attaction, it still is much higher than any ride manufacture that I can think of.

Companies such as Boliger and Mabillard, Vekoma, GCI, Premier, S&S/Arrow, among others have not had any ride fatality or any major accident that I can remember in the last 5 years.4 out of the 5 accidents discussed in this article deal with the same Intamin T-shaped restraint.

Also all 5 of the accidents are dealing with the rider slipping out of the restraint and being injured after being lifted or falling out of the ride vehicle. Although 2 out of the 5 accidents the person was very large (around 300 lbs) and two others were dealing with some type of disability,

Intamins safety record appears to be much worse than any other amusement ride manufacture.In Intamin's defense some of the accidents involve riders that one could argue should not have been riding that particular ride (perhaps they were to large for the restraint or their disability might have conflicted with the nature of the ride or the restraint system).

However it is the parks responsibility and the ride manufactures to determine certain qualifications to ride a specific attraction. This is why there are height restrictions, fun and safety guidlines, certain amount of clicks that a lapbar or restrain must go down, and some rides even have a maximum height restriction (I think Deja Vu might).

Also, It would make logical sense to assume that people with disabilities or large guest ride other manufactures rides at the park. For example the person who recently died on the Superman Ride of Steel Coaster at Six Flags New England, goes to that park 2 or 3 times a year. Obviously this is not the first ride he has ever been on.

The bottom line is, even though statiscally the risk of being injured on an Intamin is very minute, compared to other manufactures, Intamin's safety record is much worse. 4 out of 5 of the accidents involve their T-shaped lapbar not properly restraining the rider, and each of the 5 accidents involves the rider falling out of the ride vehicle.

Thus this T-shaped lapbar is not nearly as safe as other ride manufactures restraints, and thus needs to be modified.*** This post was edited by Beast Fan 5/4/2004 3:03:30 PM ***
*** This post was edited by Beast Fan 5/4/2004 3:04:40 PM ***

Beast Fan: at least two other coaster fatalities in the past two years: Big Thunder @ Disneyland (a Vekoma---mechanical failure resulting from improper maintenance) and Raven @ Holiday World (a CCI --- rider error).

Don't forget Scream with the Maintenance man walking in a restricted area.

But that's not a ride failure.