Kentucky Kingdom (SFKK, KK) Discussion Thread

[astroworldfan1]

I can't seem to find Superman: Tower of Power on SFStL's website. Am I just retarded or is it really missing? And if it is, is it because of this?

 

SFStL all rides list.

 

Superman Tower of Power is now on the SFSTL website.

[PKI Jizzman]

Aw, poor drop ride.

Nevermind the poor girl who lost her feet.

 

Well I wouldn't think they would have to comepletely relocate/destroy the ride! A full safetly inspection could be in order...but I guess that park will never have some sort of drop ride because of that incident.

[BeemerBoy]

^ The answer's right here:

 

Publicity surrounding the June 21 incident contributed to poor attendance and a 46 percent profit drop last season for Six Flags, the parent company of Kentucky Kingdom.

 

Six Flags reported earlier this month that the 2007 season got off to a strong start, but attendance at its parks nationwide fell 9 percent in July compared with the year before because of bad weather at its Texas and Georgia parks and national news coverage of the Louisville incident.

 

Plus, it's just simply a good move out of respect.

[Airtime&Gravity]

^Exactly

 

I saw this coming, and while it is a good drop ride, I doubt anyone would ride it at SFKK if it reopened. Hopefully this ride finds a new home as it is a lot of fun for its size, and now the chain can put the incident for the most part behind them.

 

Does anyone know if SF is paying for the girl's medical bills?

[Darien Laker]

I didn't think they'd tear it down, only because there are rides still operating today that people have died on.

 

Then again, every accident is an individual situation, and this was clearly not a "rider error". It must not have been possible and/or worth it to keep this ride open after this.

[Airtime&Gravity]

^The fact that it was the ride's fault and all the bad publicity are probably the reasons for the removal. This news story went on for several days, and while it was tragic, it got a lot more media attention than the average theme park death. I doubt anyone would ride it if it stayed open, and(I'm assuming most other drop towers were similar) because of this accident, Giant Drop was essentially a walk on the rest of the year.(more than usual)

[St.LouisBOI]

Actually, at SFSTL on our S:TOP...when the ride reopened after the long closure, lines exceeded half an hour to an hour at the least on most days. The ride is still a popular one here.

[AllenA07]

Does anyone know if SF is paying for the girl's medical bills?

 

So I saw your question and got curious so I decided that, with my final exams coming up, I would turn this into my very own hypothetical and try to guess at what the lawsuit is going to look like. Long story short (I ended up writing about 8 pages on this) without many more facts it'll be hard to figure out who is going to have to pay. I'm guess if she sues Six Flags will be involved, and I'd guess that she'd join Intamin, but what about the companies that helped manufacture the defective part. We don't know enough about exactly how it failed, and who made the parts to determine who is paying. However I am pretty confident that at very least that girl is going to have her medical bills compensated. I'm curious to learn more about this case, but my guess is Six Flags will (or has) be quick to settle. This isn't exactly good publicity that you want to linger over your head.

[Goliath513]

I didn't think they'd tear it down, only because there are rides still operating today that people have died on.

 

Then again, every accident is an individual situation, and this was clearly not a "rider error". It must not have been possible and/or worth it to keep this ride open after this.

That's the reason why CGA reopened Drop Zone after the accident there and SFKK didn't.

 

Actually, at SFSTL on our S:TOP...when the ride reopened after the long closure, lines exceeded half an hour to an hour at the least on most days. The ride is still a popular one here.

Can someone fill me on what happened on this S:ToP? I've looked around and could not find anything about an accident on this S:Top.

[sixflagsguy5]

Many theme parks with Intamin 2nd and 3rd generation freefall towers closed down their drop towers after the accident at Kentucky Kingdom. This was done just to make sure that they weren't operating an unsafe ride and to cover themselves if something were to happen on their ride. Nothing happened on S:TOP at SFSTL to my knowledge. It was closed in July when I went there.

[Six Flags Addict]

I didn't think they'd tear it down, only because there are rides still operating today that people have died on.

 

Then again, every accident is an individual situation, and this was clearly not a "rider error". It must not have been possible and/or worth it to keep this ride open after this.

That's the reason why CGA reopened Drop Zone after the accident there and SFKK didn't.

 

Actually, at SFSTL on our S:TOP...when the ride reopened after the long closure, lines exceeded half an hour to an hour at the least on most days. The ride is still a popular one here.

Can someone fill me on what happened on this S:ToP? I've looked around and could not find anything about an accident on this S:Top.

 

There was never an accident of SFSTL's S:TOP. It was closed from the accident on SFKK's S:TOP.

 

 

Does anyone know how the girl who's feet were cut is doing?

[TheRapidsNerd]

Wow. So SFKK is taking it out huh? Nobody would want to ride that particular tower after what happened anyway. This makes sense.

 

Feel bad for the girl and hope her quality of life improves.

 

Still don't agree with shutting down all the similar kinds of drops across the country out of paranoya. It was 1 incident at 1 park and not a manufacturer's defect that might warrant such action. While people would've skipped the ride or questioned it, if the other towers were properly maintained, there's absolutely no reason to worry or close them at the other parks.

 

My useless opinion on political correctness in todays fear-ridden society.

 

As before, my heart goes out to the girl and her family.

[Shockwave]

Still don't agree with shutting down all the similar kinds of drops across the country out of paranoya. It was 1 incident at 1 park and not a manufacturer's defect that might warrant such action. While people would've skipped the ride or questioned it, if the other towers were properly maintained, there's absolutely no reason to worry or close them at the other parks.

 

My useless opinion on political correctness in todays fear-ridden society.

 

 

Well I'd say that's a very good decision. If there's been an incident like that where there's a potential mechanical failure, and other rides could be affected, you'd be stupid not to check the others.

 

In fact I'm sure that at least one other Intamin drop tower had a similar issue to that of Kentucky Kingdom's tower.

[TheRapidsNerd]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

TheRapidsNerd wrote:

Still don't agree with shutting down all the similar kinds of drops across the country out of paranoya. It was 1 incident at 1 park and not a manufacturer's defect that might warrant such action. While people would've skipped the ride or questioned it, if the other towers were properly maintained, there's absolutely no reason to worry or close them at the other parks.

 

My useless opinion on political correctness in todays fear-ridden society.

 

 

 

 

Well I'd say that's a very good decision. If there's been an incident like that where there's a potential mechanical failure, and other rides could be affected, you'd be stupid not to check the others.

 

That's just it. Your regular maintenance IS a daily check for just that and other unforseen potential problems, and it's documented. You already have said proof there is no potential of mechanical failure.

 

Here's a different example: My Ford Focus blows a tire. Another Focus owner hears about this and looks questioningly at his car. Now, he's just back from the shop, bill in hand, and has kept up with his regular maintnenace. The shop has proven HIS car is fine and says so on his bill. It would seem silly to take the bus to work, with a perfectly fine, well maintained, and proven safe car, sitting in the driveway.

[Guest]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

TheRapidsNerd wrote:

Still don't agree with shutting down all the similar kinds of drops across the country out of paranoya. It was 1 incident at 1 park and not a manufacturer's defect that might warrant such action. While people would've skipped the ride or questioned it, if the other towers were properly maintained, there's absolutely no reason to worry or close them at the other parks.

 

My useless opinion on political correctness in todays fear-ridden society.

 

 

 

 

Well I'd say that's a very good decision. If there's been an incident like that where there's a potential mechanical failure, and other rides could be affected, you'd be stupid not to check the others.

 

That's just it. Your regular maintenance IS a daily check for just that and other unforseen potential problems, and it's documented. You already have said proof there is no potential of mechanical failure.

The rides stayed closed because they added a few extra safety features to the other Intamin 2nd gen drop towers (at least at SF parks, dont know about other chains).

[TheRapidsNerd]

The rides stayed closed because they added a few extra safety features to the other Intamin 2nd gen drop towers (at least at SF parks, dont know about other chains).

 

That is a more logical reason to close the rides. Thank you for pointing this out.

[jmccalip]

Maybe Intamin should just use LIMS or coated nylon rope for their next drop towers...

[verticalzero]

Breaking News from CNN.

 

Six Flags’ Kentucky Kingdom wants to tear down its Superman Tower of Power ride on which a girl lost both of her feet earlier this year.

 

The move has been the subject of intense negotiations between attorneys for the theme park and the teenager who lost one of her feet on the ride after both feet were cut off.

 

The family of the 13-year-old injured on the ride, Kaitlyn Lasitter, is suing Kentucky Kingdom, saying it failed to maintain safe equipment.

 

Lasitter’s lawyer wants to make sure critical evidence is preserved.

 

“We really need to get the ride down before the start of next season,” Kentucky Kingdom attorney John Hauley said.

 

For that to happen, the park claims the ride needs to be down by Feb. 1.

 

Lasitter’s feet were severed while riding the Tower of Power as a cable snapped.

 

Attorneys for the family and the theme park are still debating which of two companies will test that cable and other parts of the ride.

 

“If this tower is begun to be taken down, there might be somebody not just at these tables, but behind me that will say we found stuff on what the lab did that requires us to go back, but that evidence is altered or gone,” the Lasitters’ family attorney, Larry Franklin, said.

 

Kentucky Kingdom proposes dismantling the 170 foot ride and preserving key parts in a warehouse.

 

But there are still questions about exactly what parts to preserve.

 

“We’ve been discussing a reasonable time frame even after the cable has been tested, but there’s no date as of this date we can start taking down the ride,” Hauley said.

 

Six Flags said it will take four to six weeks to dismantle the Superman Tower of Power. But, first, both sides have to agree on a lab, and then find out how long it will take to test the cable and other parts.

 

The next hearing will be held on Dec. 14.

[DBru]

What I don't understand is how maintenance missed that the cable was tearing? I mean, the ride did get a daily check-up before opening, didn't it?

[coasterbilly]

this is a shame that they have to take it down. Sure it had an accident and the maintenance department is at fault for the accident but these are fun rides! How come they need to take it down for the sake of one person while the whole general public enjoys it? Screwed up if you ask me

[Acero]

What are they going to do with the ride, exactly? Give its spare parts to STOP at Six Flags St. Louis? What was the point of closing the ride?

It probably would have been much easier to give Intamin a quick phone call and buy new cables. Problem solved. I mean, the public isn't going to stop using the ride just because of the accident (I would hope not).

All the other Intamin Drop Towers in the world are still operating absolutely fine, with no accidents recorded. I believe this is the first instance in which a Drop Tower has actually done something to a rider, that was not the rider's fault. But the ride's fault / maintenance crew.

[scruffy]

I really don't think the public is going to want to ride this drop tower after everything that has happened to the girl.

 

When Kings Island reopened Flight Commander not a lot of people rode it.

[Acero]

I guess that's true, even though patrons need to remember that Six Flags would fix the problem before reopening the ride (common sense).

However, if it's relocated, the average park guest will consider it a new ride, rather than being 'that ride where the girl's feet got cut off.'

But, it's a shame that some Drop Tower's popularity has declined. SFKK and Intamin were pretty stupid here, SFKK since they didn't order replacements, but it sounds like Intamin should've been more assertive in reiterating that SFKK NEEDED to replace the cables every year or so.

Anyways.

[AllenA07]

It'll be interesting to see what the court has SFKK do, I really wonder if they'll be allowed to remove the ride because it is the primary piece of evidence. If the park goes ahead with the removal and destroy the evidence you have a situation known as spoilation, which would be very bad for Six Flags.

 

I'm a little surprised that Six Flags was apparently so lax on safety in this case, you'd expect the big chains to really be strict on these things. I'm also a bit surprised they're removing it, while serious injury or death is bad for a ride, it is a stigma that eventually does go away. My guess is that the ride wasn't bringing in enough people prior to the accident that the park thought it would be worth their money to keep the ride running, not to mention trying to smooth over the accident a bit.

 

Just my .02 cents.

[sixflagsguy5]

I'm a little bit confused by this article. Does Six Flags want to tear it down in order to possibly avoid losing the suit or do they plan on tearing it down for other reasons? If they're trying to win the suit by tearing down the ride, that is really messed up.