Orlando FreeFall tower will be removed

This is certainly understandable.

However, I wouldn't be lying if I said I'm a little disappointed because I had hoped to ride it. I love drop towers that don't bounce (S+S) and the 2 really tall ones on Superman and Kingda Ka are absolutely amazing experiences.

Did they ever figure out who was responsible for altering the restraint points?

They didn't say they were going to scrap it, just take it down. I would be shocked it if it didn't show up somewhere else.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing – I'm sure it'll get a new home.

They might add or remove a segment of tower so it's not obviously the same machine, but I daresay it'll be back sooner or later.

Reimagined if you will.

Any word on changes to the ride at Dollywood? When we were there, it was not operating, and I assumed it might be because of this accident. I believe that is the only similar tower here in the US.

I thought someone recently posted a trip report mentioning they rode the Dollywood ride. It was closed prior to that when I was there in August.

It was Jephry, and yes they did get a ride, so it’s back open.
Good, because that’s a great drop tower, especially for the view all around.

As cranky as it was, and despite stranding riders for the better part of a day at one point, the Topple Tower that was at Dollywood before Drop Line was also a lot of fun.

So what was the official ruling on the cause of the accident? Operator error or a mechanical malfunction?

The park made adjustments to the seats/restraints

I don't know that they determined it was the park specifically, did they? I read the report as "someone" made the adjustment.

The ride owners seem to be doing all the right things. Bad optics to have kept it up and running for sure.

but the family lawyer says this in the linked story: “ The Orlando Free Fall ride never should have been permitted to operate under those faulty conditions“

which makes it sound like it was a mechanical malfunction?

More like an extremely unwise mechanical adjustment.

I don't think the difference matters. There was a known human factor threshold for human restraint, and someone adjusted that seat to operate outside of that threshold, whether they understood that or not.

Which leads to the question to ask 100% objectively: Is there any reason the ride can't continue to safely operate with restraints/seats that have not been adjusted?

I feel like if the ride was anywhere other than Orlando, it wouldn't be coming down. But at the same time, will any other park/park company be able to purchase and build it as a new attraction without the media spinning it as "xxx Park is rebuilding the deadly Orlando Free Fall. Is it safe?"

See, I feel the opposite would be true. At a smaller regional park I'd think that something like this would be in people's minds for quite some time and that it'd make sense to remove the attraction.

In Orlando since most of the people going there are tourists, I'd fix it and let it run. How many GP are really aware of what went on there? I guarantee you that I'm the only person in my family that knows about this incident.

Based on the number of people I saw in June stopping on the sidewalk, pointing at it, and taking pictures of it I would say a lot of people know about it. I would guess the morbid fascination has decreased since then though.

BrettV:

without the media spinning it as "xxx Park is rebuilding the deadly Orlando

Pretty sure a place called “xxx Park” has different types of rides.

Where is this park? Asking for a friend.

Whenever anything like this happens my inbox is jammed with people asking me “Were you there?” “Were you ever there?” “Would you do this?” “Did you do this?”
My answers vary, but I’m always pretty sure people know about it. How long they’d remember or if they’d know it if they were to walk by is I dunno.