NEWS: Man dies after falling off La Qua's 'Spinning Coaster'

[weathers]

Oh my god -_-;

[Wallfan]

Not ggod, but I too would like to hear more about the story.

[Hilltopper39]

I have a real sneaking suspicion that when the investigation is completed this accident will be a result of a rider not following the rules and being dumb rather than a mechanical failure. More often than not most ride accidents are a result of human error and not mechanical failure, at least most cases that I am aware of. My thoughts and prayers do go out to the family though, but Im interested in seeing the results of the investigation.

[eltoro96]

This is a very sad story. They do have a chance to recover. A small park right near me had 2 deaths and a near death within 3 weeks. It was also a park totally catered towards kids. On the Zierer ladybug an employee got struck during a test after hours. The next week a disabled woman fell from the highest point on the Huss top scan. A few days after that a young girls scarf got stuck in the center on a Zamperla balloon spinning thing. It took awhile for the GP to regain their trust in safety since it was the children riding, but they recovered which in the end is all that matters.

[Skycoastin Steve]

For anyone that thinks it could have been operator error (not checking the restraints), it's impossible on just about every coaster ever built to dispatch a ride without the restraints locked. I think the only exceptions are kiddie coasters that have manual locking restraints.

[Hilltopper39]

^^ Not entirely true, when I worked Everest it was very possible to dispatch the trains with the restraints raised. We often moved trains from load to the transfer track with restraints raised, and test runs were done with restraints raised if I remember correctly. Or if there was no one in line and we needed to cycle through a empty train it was with restraints up (been a few years but Im pretty sure it was possible).

Another ride I used to work on was a GCI with millennium flyers, and Im pretty sure it could be dispatched with the restraints raised (the GCI guys on here can probably confirm or deny that). However the lap bars on the flyers usually fall into the locked position if they are left up anyways.

The boats on Journey to Atlantis could also be dispatched with the restraints raised. It was policy to lower the restraints regardless of if anyone was in the row or not for every dispatch but you didn't have to lower the restraints to dispatch the trains.

Ive never worked a B&M or an Intamin coaster but most rides Ive ever worked the trains could be dispatched with the restraints raised.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^But I bet the restraints were locked, as I said they had to be.

[Hilltopper39]

yeah they were in the "locked" position but if the restraint is locked but not lowered then its useless. It is very necessary for an operator to check the restraint to make sure it is locked and lowered. In all reality this accident could have been an operator error where the where the operator didn't visually or manually inspect the restraint. I'm saying that restraints can be in the "locked" position but not necessarily lowered and the train can still be dispatched.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^But by all accounts, this is a park (and a country) that follows safety procedures. So we can rule that out. And a coaster can't be dispatched with unlocked restraints. So we can rule that out.

[TPDave]

^But by all accounts, this is a park (and a country) that follows safety procedures. So we can rule that out. And a coaster can't be dispatched with unlocked restraints. So we can rule that out.

 

No you can't. There is hardly any information about this so it would be ridiculous to rule stuff out because it goes against a stereotype. There's not much point speculating how this happened until we have more information...

 

Dave

[DJeXeL]

And a coaster can't be dispatched with unlocked restraints. So we can rule that out.

 

That's not true for ALL coasters so not a good generalization to make. Even on a coaster that does have a restraint monitoring system it doesn't necessarily mean the restraint was locked properly according to the size of guest that was in the seat.

[Skycoastin Steve]

My point is, there's no way in Sam Hill the ride dispatched without that little blinky "lock restraints" button being pushed. Whether there was some malfunction mid-ride is what the investigation is for.

 

And I believe I already said most coasters can't be dispatched without the restraints being locked, the only exceptions that I've ever seen being kiddie coasters that have manual locking restraints. Even old Arrows (and at least the boomerang at Alabama Adventure) that have manual locking restraints have a photo eye at the exit of the station that makes sure all foot pedals are in the locked position before it allows the ride to keep cycling.

 

Obviously something malfunctioned, but remember this post when the investigation finds that "the ride was working properly." Just like they did in Louisiana.

[Hilltopper39]

^But by all accounts, this is a park (and a country) that follows safety procedures. So we can rule that out. And a coaster can't be dispatched with unlocked restraints. So we can rule that out.

It can be dispatched with locked restraints that are not lowered so it's essentially the same as an unlocked restraint.

When it comes to accidents like this nothing can be ruled out. Its possible the restraints were locked, lowered, visually inspected by the operator but not physically and maybe there was enough room between the rider and the restraint that he was able to wiggle out or worse 'get thrown out' by the spinning of the ride. Not that anyone would ever leave a little space between them selves and the lap bar, at least Ive never tried that to get a little more airtime

 

You cant rule out anything in an accident like this. Until further investigation info is released I'm blaming Ice Bat.

[DJeXeL]

Steve,

You're correct on the Boomerang restraint monitoring. It's called a "low pedal" and it will stop the train on lift 1. If you meant "most" coasters then that's fine but that's not what your post stated. In any case, there are newer (post 2000) coasters that will allow you to dispatch with restraints unlocked.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^Did it not?

 

For anyone that thinks it could have been operator error (not checking the restraints), it's impossible on just about every coaster ever built to dispatch a ride without the restraints locked. I think the only exceptions are kiddie coasters that have manual locking restraints.

[DJeXeL]

^But by all accounts, this is a park (and a country) that follows safety procedures. So we can rule that out. And a coaster can't be dispatched with unlocked restraints. So we can rule that out.

 

That was the post I was looking at. My apologies. My statements still stand however.

[monkeyoverlord71]

Fumiaki Kuranouchi fell between 7 and 8 metres to the ground on Sunday afternoon while the roller coaster was in motion at the Tokyo Dome City Attractions in Bunkyo Ward.

 

The 34-year-old was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead two hours later.

 

Metropolitan Police Department investigators suspect that the ride, which is said to reach speeds of 39.6kph started moving before the man, who they described as 'large', had been fully secured.

 

According to the Mainichi Daily News, Kuranouchi was riding the attraction with three other friends and was flown from the carriage when it was making a turn at a curb.

 

Police are trying to determine whether the accident was caused by professional negligence or if the man failed to follow safety instructions.

 

An official from the park's operating company said in a press conference yesterday that the workers had found no problems with the roller coaster during equipment checks prior to the incident. However, park workers have been reported as saying that the roller coaster can function whether the safety bars are in place or not.

 

Senior managing director of Tokyo Dome said: "We are extremely sorry that such an accident occurred, and apologise to the family of the customer who died. We will put efforts into preventing a reoccurrence of such an accident by determining the cause of it."

 

The 'Spinning Coaster Maihime' roller coaster is described on the theme park's website as a 'thrilling mini-roller coaster darting around on a 300-metre-long winding track.'

 

The accident is the third to strike the park in the last three months.

 

In November a worker lost three of her fingers while checking wires and motors at the top of the 'Tower Hacker' attraction and a month later, parts from the 'Thunder Dolphin' roller coaster injured a young girl.

 

All rides at the theme park have been suspended after the fatal incident.

 

Link

[ScottBrown]

For anyone that thinks it could have been operator error (not checking the restraints), it's impossible on just about every coaster ever built to dispatch a ride without the restraints locked. I think the only exceptions are kiddie coasters that have manual locking restraints.

 

Also add B&M coasters to that list as I have seen a B&M Inverted coaster and a B&M Stand up Coaster run with the restraints up

[signaltwo]

 

Also add B&M coasters to that list as I have seen a B&M Inverted coaster and a B&M Stand up Coaster run with the restraints up

 

The ride was probably in manual mode being run by maintenance. Kingda Ka train's can be moved with open restraints but only while the ride is in manual when they are being transferred off the track.

[SharkTums]

Don't know why this thread is getting so offtrack, but Scott's correct, I've seen several B&M's run with restraints up...I've been on them, so I doubt it's a maintenance mode thing!

[robbalvey]

And I believe I already said most coasters can't be dispatched without the restraints being locked[/url]

I have seen plenty of coasters dispatch with restraints unlocked. Gerstlauer Eurofighter at Bon Bon Land dispatches like this:

 

[Skycoastin Steve]

^That could very well be in maintenance mode, though, which just opens another can of worms, so no need to get into it (unless for some unexplainable reason they were operating in maintenance mode).

[robbalvey]

^ Nah. I went up the lift with the restraint next to me open!

[Hilltopper39]

I don't think 'maintenance mode' has anything to do with the status of the restraints. Most coasters have mechanical (or on some B&M's and maybe some Intamin's which I think are hydraulic an electrical) connection that is made in the station and station only that allows the restraints to be unlocked and raised otherwise the restraints are always in the locked position anywhere on the track circuit but not necessarily the locked and lowered position. So while the OTSR's in Robb's picture appear to be open they are most likely in a locked position. I don't remember exactly what maintenance mode is used for on most coasters but once a train leaves the station and is dispatched into the ride circuit there usually isn't any way to alter the status of the restraints without manually opening them with some type of bar or foot pedal or something.

[DJeXeL]

Bottom line of what Robb is trying to say is that some coasters CAN be dispatched with the restrains physically open in automatic mode! I've operated 4 different coasters in which this can be the case!! Older B&Ms (Pre-2002) do NOT have a restraint monitoring system. The "lock harnesses" button on dispatch panel has to be pressed in order to dispatch the train however there's no monitoring system that regulates the physical position of the restraint. I've also operated an Intamin that has this ability as well to dispatch the train with the restraints "locked" but not physically lowered in automatic mode.