Fender13

I couldn't be happier with this announcement. I've long said that SFGAm is the best part without any destination coasters, but now they are finally getting one. It's a great park all around and now they have that extra special something that will draw people in. Outlaw Run was phenomenal this year and I can't wait to ride Goliath. RMC is a force to be reckoned with at this point.

Having worked on coasters with hydraulic restraints (Including a Gerstlauer), I can back this up. Most of everything stated by Fender13 is true. The only thing I have experienced that differs from the quoted post is that the Gerstlauer I have worked on could indeed be dispatched with the restraints up in Manual Mode, which only maintenance has access to. Thanks for the correction. Of course I'm sure they will conclude that wasn't the case, but it's a valid thing to note.

This is where the entire issue lies, and I'm sorry but I don't buy it. If there are conditions where the lap bar can fail, and we KNOW this is true because it's happened on other rides in the past, then there should have been seat belts. If they didn't want to install them because they reduce capacity, then the designers and the park created an unsafe ride in the name of increased profit margins, no more, no less, and they should be held accountable. As an aside, I've never ridden a ride with shin bars. Now that I see what they actually look like, I must say they don't look comfortable at all. Though I guess I'd prefer them to OTSR. No, you're making a distinction here. The issue is not the lap bar failing, because it's statistically impossible. I also want to point out that you're putting words in my mouth about the seat belts. I never claimed the manufacturer intentionally left them out against safety protocol just for rider capacity gains. I don't have access to all the safety studies and mechanical testing they performed, but most if not all hydraulic restraints do not have seat belts. And that is across multiple manufacturers. The real issue here is that apparently there is not a one-size-fits-all restraint that can fit all body types at the programmed minimum restraint angle, and that's something I can't speculate about because I haven't seen the data.

Facts: 1) The Gerstlauer trains running on NTAG use hydraulic restraints. Hydraulic restraints do not fail in such a way that it could cause the restraints to release. This is because the restraints fail in the locked position. It is physically impossible for the restraint to have released during the ride. The only way to release the restraints after they have been locked is either in the station via high voltage contacts underneath the train, or via special portable power packs that apply the necessary voltage to unlock the restraints that a mechanic can take to an evacuation location in the event of emergency stop. 2) The ride is computer controlled, and there are sensors on each restraint that measure the angle of the lap bar. The lap bar must be pushed in far enough to exceed the minimum required angle for safe operation, at which point the green light turns on. The lap bar sensor is not able to gauge HOW the bar is sitting in relation to the rider's mass and body shape, only the closing angle. Thus there is no way for the restraint to indicate whether or not the bar was in contact with the rider's legs. 3) The train cannot be dispatched (even manually) unless all restraints are secure and all green lights are on. The train was successfully dispatched, so we can effectively rule out lap bar failure from the cause of death. 4) The victim is very large in stature and appears to be very top heavy, with a larger midsection compared to hips and thighs. 5) The Superman investigation revealed a body type that would not be properly secured by the ride restraints. The typical body type is large midsection and disproportionately small waist and legs. 6) NTAG is filled with ejector air time. 8) Hydraulic restraints are fairly difficult to push down and require effort. Speculation: 1) It is common to see ride operators struggle to fit obese people into the restraints on various rides. I myself have seen occasions where 2-3 strong ride operators were nearly horizontal while throwing their entire combined body weight into the restraint in order to make the green light turn on. While there are no reports of this happening on NTAG, it is certainly possible and even plausible that at least one operator had to exert additional force in order to close the restraint and satisfy the sensor. Whether or not this is accepted park practice I don't know, but it is fairly common. 2) According to reports that have since proven unreliable, the woman expressed worry that she felt the restraint was not securing her properly. 3) I believe the lap bar was pressed into her bosom or stomach, leaving ample room between the lap bar and her legs. The first pop of ejector air could have forced her stomach/chest out and over the lap bar, leaving her essentially unsecured in the seat. The next pop of ejector air launched her from the ride. 4) The woman likely panicked after the first moment of ejector air and didn't have the time, energy, strength or thought to re-fasten her lap bar around her waist. She also wouldn't have enough upper body strength to hold on to the restraints in order to prevent ejection. 5) A lap seat belt could have prevented ejection from happening, but newer rides with hydraulic restraints are believed to not need seat belts due to the statistical impossibility of the restraints failing. It's also impossible for the manufacturer to test the restraints for every possible human body shape and size. This accident required the perfect storm of rider body type, operation conditions and G-forces to happen. Thus I don't believe the blame can be placed on the manufacturer of the trains in court, and certainly not RMC. 6) As a result of this death, several things could and might happen. One thing they could do is implement new lap bars with tighter shin bars that restrict leg movement, like Outlaw Run. Another possibility is seat belts, but the park will favor the shin bars because that won't affect ride capacity. They may also reprogram the ride controller to force the restraint closing angle to be even tighter. They will also likely revisit their policies of how to secure overweight guests. Other rides like Outlaw Run should not be affected, but knee jerk reactions are always a possibility in these types of tragedies.

I just registered to say there is absolutely no way Mt. Olympus does a good job maintaining this coaster in the future. They are a joke. They only care about the gimmick and making some quick bucks. Why do you think they're blatantly lying on the Hades 360 tag line. It's an insult to coaster fans who know the truth. The last time I was there was a nightmare. I rode Zeus and the ride OPs were unskilled 15 year-olds goofing off. They stopped the train about 4 or 5 gates off from the queue gates, and then everyone just made a mad rush for seats once the gates opened, because the cars weren't lined up properly. People were shoving their way onto the ride and the ride OPs were just watching and laughing. People and ride ops were jumping across the track in the station. Then when I finally got on, I realized on the lift hill that the ratchet mechanism on my lap bar was broken and the bar went completely up like a floppy noodle. I had the seatbelt on, but the stitching on the seat belt was nearly ripped through. Luckily Zeus isn't the most extreme ride out there, but I was holding on for dear life not to fall out of the car during airtime. When I got back to the station, I called the 15 year old ride OP over to look at my broken bar and nearly-broken seatbelt and he just shrugged it off and said "whatever" and ushered me to the exit. That place is an utter joke of an amusement park and I give it a couple years until Hades 360 is just as run down. They barely even did any safety testing on this ride before they opened it to the GP. And does anyone know or care why they require a full train for each dispatch? That's the only time I've ever seen that practice. Also, I wonder if the OP's opinion of Hades 360 and Outlaw Run was influenced by the order in which he rode them. I wonder if he would have preferred Outlaw Run if that was the coaster he just rode... I rode the heck out of Outlaw Run about a week ago (9 rides in 2 days) and I can't name 5 wood coasters in the world that are better. It's amazing. Given Hades' extreme roughness and negative reviews from past seasons and the relatively small amount of changes they made for 2013, I highly doubt Hades 360 could top OR, but again it's just opinion and everyone has one...