5 people killed in ferris wheel accident!

[viking86]

5 people were killed when a ride car fell off a ferris wheel at the World Carnival in South Korea. The falling car landed on another ride car and caused it to tip over.

 

Heres a norwegian article with two pictures of the accident scene:

 

http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2007/08/13/508726.html

[Airtime&Gravity]

So was this an observation wheel like the London Eye, or was this a temporary ride? It was a tragic accident, and this is probably the worst ride accident I've read all year. Most of the time when the ride is at fault, they are not serious, but there must have been some serious maintenance problems for this to happen.

 

Airtime-is anyone else reminded of Beverly Hills Cop 3? -&Gravity

[viking86]

This was a temporary ride. The article says that the World Carnival is a travelling fair.

[Vekoma Fan Boy]

Further proof that ferris wheel are indeed evil.

[jamesdillaman]

Yeah, this is why I don't go to many fairs... I'll stick with the permanent attractions parks, who can't just move to another location after some bad publicity under a new name. There just isn't enough enforcement with the travelling fairs for them to be as concerned about safety.

 

-James Dillaman

[christianscoasters]

^Agreed. I get tired of hearing "I'm not going to an amusement park. It isn't safe". Aside from the fact that they ride bikes, drive cars, jump on trampolines. All of those are more dangerous. Most amusement ride accidents are carnivals or fairs. Not all, but it usually is because someone did something improperly or stupid.

[Johnny Upsidedown]

In english

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=101606

[jamesdillaman]

^ The article says the wheel was 216 feet high!!! I would NEVER go on a ride that large at a travelling fair. Sympathies go out to the family, but kudos go to the 70 year-old man who "clung on to handholds" until being rescued by the fire department. Wow.

 

-James Dillaman

[Swoosh]

and this is why I am a Ferris WON'T

[Ccron10]

I think I heard that most people die on golf carts than amusement park rides. Or something similar to that.

 

I wouldn't ride something that high when it's temoparly there.

[krouvi]

From what I read I understand the car didn't fall down, but rolled over somehow while the ride was on and people just fell out of the window.

It sounds worst than a lame horror movie script.

[Loco]

And to think I went on a portable ferris wheel last month thinking "Oh it's not going to be that bad". Ferris Wheels scare the crap out of me.

[Scaparri]

I'm still a little confused as to how in the hell this works? How does something like that just suddenly 'flip'?

 

This just seems like an unusually bad year for amusement parks.

[TexTitan01]

^ Im confused too, maybe something with the mechanics that keep the on the actual hub. What probably happened is with the combo of swaying freely and the ride suddenly stopping, it maybe have been enough to flip the car over...then again I could be totally off

 

That really sucks though, a family trying to have a nice outing at the fair ends up at the heart of a tragedy. The world needs to be as hard-assed about fair regulations as the US is!

[Théo the little french]

This is pretty scary! When I ride a ferry wheel I'm always afraid that the car brake or fall.... Brrr!

[lil jimmy norton]

I was at a festival by my hous about ten years ago, and the op told me and my cousin to move up to the platform, but then he started the ferris wheel while we were walking, and we almost got hit by one of the cars.

After that, I have been really hesistant to ride ferris wheels.

[RCoasterny]

Knoebel's original Eli Wheel always gave me the heebie jeebies when I was little. I hated it when they would slam on the brake to stop the wheel for unloading and loading while I was on the top. It would cause the car to swing back and forth. At least their current Giant Wheel stops more gently.

 

Even Hershey's former Intamin double Giant Wheel made me nervous- thinking that the chain holding up the pod would hold!

[Steffen_Dk]

Another reason not to ride rides at fairs. I've never trusted them, and I never will..

[FlyingScooter]

I've always been afraid of this kind of accident on a Ferris Wheel. My fear was either metal fatigue and cracking a gondola axle or siezed bearings on the gondola axles.

 

this is just bad.

[krouvi]

From the picture it looks like the cabin didn't flip over. It got stuck and than when the wheel continued to move it went on its side and this is the point when the riders fell out of the side window.