Top Gun at PKI Accident

It seems that yesterday (7-16-02) that one trian crashed into a truck under its track during one of its test runs. There was major damage done to that train. To allow PKI to clean up the mess and keep this hidden from the news, they kept Drop Zone and SOB closes until 1:00 or so. Also the ride op said that Top Gun would be closed for at least a month and Jeff Siebert spent most of the day around Top Gun. I was at the park yesterday and I managed to get some pictures of the ride with tarps over the track (I would guess that they were covering up the damaged train).

http://www.coasterempire.com/albums/album18/aaa.sized.jpg

http://www.coasterempire.com/albums/album18/aab.sized.jpg

*** This post was edited by Mark B. on 7/17/2002. ***

Why do I think that someone didn't lock out the ride while they were trimming back the brush down on that end of the ride??

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Scott W. Short
scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

The weird thing is I've heard reports that the ride was opened at 4 that day.

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Can we change the name of Top Gun to your mom so no one wants to ride your mom?

With the very recent accidents at different parks, it seems employees would be overly cautious to prevent things like this.

So are they running only one train now? Was this a regular (pickup) truck or bigger? Was anyone inside the truck or near it when hit?

A funny thing just happened, I posted this about ten minutes ago. It seems that my post has disappeared and this one took it's place, when I made sure that it hadn't been posted before...

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Intelligence is a God given gift: Know how to use it.

It was a bucket truck, and no one was in it at the time. I was informed about the accident a little while after it happened... Apparently the first three cars left the track, and are very very badly damaged, almost beyond recognition.

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"I sold my soul to Viacom"

Teenage Ninja said:
The weird thing is I've heard reports that the ride was opened at 4 that day.

I was at the park and I can tell you that it wasn't opean at 4. Also you can see the wheel assemblies (sp) under the tarp and it was reported that it hit a bucket truck.

Wow, that sux. I just went on it the day before and my friend who didnt want to ride it cuz he had a bad feeling about it for some reason, but we still did... the next day this happens. Hopefully it wont have to close forever or be torn down this year like two other rides (KC and PT).

~Flo

That must have been one heck of a "BANG"!

Yea I agree about the big bang idea. Was the park open (past 10 AM) or was it earlier when no peeps were in the park. If the GP was there, a crowd of people would have definitely heard the bang.

Hmmmm,do you think someone was fired over this????

Better yet, could you imagine if KI docked your pay for damages.

With Arrow in the toliet, perhaps there will be the floorless trains on Top Gun after all.

Thankgod, no one was injured.

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Arrow's dream turned into nightmare with words Six Flags all over it

Where in the ride did it hit the truck (after first hill, in helix, going into station, ...)?

Wow! I can't beleive it! what the heck was a truck doing there anyway during a test run? Thank god nobody was on the train.

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Beer, my soon to be wife, coasters, and the FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Is this a great country or what!!
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stoogemanmoe and places to get discount Six Flags Great America tickets!

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Michael Jenkins said:
Where in the ride did it hit the truck (after first hill, in helix, going into station, ...)?

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I belive that it was in the last helix, right before the "s" turn going into the brake run.

*** This post was edited by Mark B. on 7/17/2002. ***

This reminds me of the Iron Dragon incident so many years ago.....

What happened in the Iron Draggin? Of course I would be in to having the new retrofit of the Vampire style cars. It would be a simple change and may even create a new name for the ride. Of course it is not cheap, but it would be cheaper than a new ride in its place. I would not like to see this ride go and I do not think this will break the camels back. Anyone know if PKI has considered the retrofit or is it (was it) too much to consider?

I assume the ride is now closed until inspectors and OSHA can come in and investigate the incident?

How unbelievably careless and stupid.

I rode it for the first time in the front seat as my last ride on Monday, hopefully it won't be my last ride on it.

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Can we change the name of Top Gun to your mom so no one wants to ride your mom?