The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[Top Thrill Dragster]

^The Video is all over the News and Youtube.

 

 

All you have to do is type in Xcelerator into youtube and look at todays uploads.

[MagicMountainMan]

Wow what a freak accident. I'm actually going tomorrow with a friend for his birthday and maybe I'll be able to find out some more. Ghostrider is down, and now the park's best coaster is down!

 

This is going to be really bad publicity for Knott's....

[Angry_Gumball]

According to a youtube conversation on that video, us coaster enthusiasts are now known as Foamers...lol

 

I figured I'd give my 2-cents-worth though I'm probably wasting my time...probably shouldn't even be contributing/fueling the GP-ish comments on there, though it is quite funny to see what they have to say when a coaster-savvy person responds. Maybe 3 users on that whole video have common sense...the rest....I make no comment. How did that video leak out anyway? Was that from a CD Ride system?

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^The video is the CDride onride video. As I said a few pages back, the sheer fact that this video was put on the internet was 99.99% likely an employee that failed to fully read the terms of conditions of his or her Non-Disclosure Agreement they signed prior to employment with the park...an employment I'm sure has since been terminated...

[Calicoasters]

I don't know anymore than what the news reports are saying.

 

And the news reports for the most part have all their "facts" wrong.

[cherrydrink]

^The video is the CDride onride video. As I said a few pages back, the sheer fact that this video was put on the internet was 99.99% likely an employee that failed to fully read the terms of conditions of his or her Non-Disclosure Agreement they signed prior to employment with the park...an employment I'm sure has since been terminated...

 

Like any minimum wage earning teenager cares about some silly non-disclosure agreement. I was working on x2 at magic mountain when it crashed last summer, they did a good job at covering that mess up.

[Tmcdllr]

From what I understand the cable snapped and on the way back hit the kids legs. How come this is not in the news though?

 

Usually someone sneezes in the line for X2, we have a special report on "Swine Flue scare at Magic Mountain" headlining the broadcast

 

 

Wow, that's creepy! Glad nobody was hurt and I mean no disrespect to anyone but that is seriously one goofy looking kid!

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^^All the more reason to my claim that most jobs requiring you to work around heavy machinary (even rollercoasters) should require you to be 21 and up

 

I can't wait for the DOSH report...I really would like to know what the cause of this was, whether Intamin, Knott's, or God not liking these two to blame.

[natatomic]

^^All the more reason to my claim that most jobs requiring you to work around heavy machinary (even rollercoasters) should require you to be 21 and up

 

But it was probably the kid working the on-ride video booth, I'd imagine (the ride ops probably don't even have access to the videos, if it's anything like most parks). So what kind of age minimum should the booth require? And if there was a minimum age limit, well, there'd go the Disney College program, which most participants (including myself) experience before the age of 21. There are plenty of immature 21 year olds (and older) that shouldn't be allowed to operate heavy machinery. It's not an age thing, it's a maturity thing (and a thorough training thing as well).

[KnottsDisneyFarm]

I really hope Knotts can get this cleared out of the way seeing that it is my home and favorite park. I would hate for them to get a bad reputation or worse...close down.

[alexinla]

Knotts is not going to get closed down for this but honestly, I am glad this Video got out as otherwise they would have tried to cover it up, which certainly would not have helped at all

 

This way a detailed investigation will be launched so something like this will hopefully not happen again

 

I mean, the seat tilted at the end to the side, cables/debris flying all around. On this one the park really got lucky as a lot and I mean A LOT worse could have happend

[Rastuso]

No doubt it could have been worse. I'm amazed there were no eye injuries. Maybe this will bring some common sense into Knott's ridiculous no-glasses-at-all-period policy.

 

The seat breaking at the end is the big concern. That's just amazing, and perhaps a sign of car frame failure, which would mean this could be the end of Xcellerator.

 

Anyone know if Dragster and KK are open today? I can't imagine they would be, especially Dragster.

 

With all the cable snaps that Intamin rides have had, I think it is to the point of where Intamin's cable specs are seriously suspect. Imagine if there were half as many Skycoaster cable snaps (there have been none so far, I beleive) as INtamin ride cable snaps. THere would be no Skycoasters left if that were tha case.

 

Luckily, our next trip is to Orlando, which is free of Intamin cables, I believe.

 

RO

[Tmcdllr]

Seat tilted, seat breaking? How exactly did a seat break and which one? I saw the video and saw no evidence of a seat breaking. I find that hard to believe. Where is the evidence? Is it in the video because I didn't see it. I saw the ride accelerate, cable debris flying, the train turned and started to go up the top hat but didn't make it so it rolled back, (nothing with the seats yet), then it was slowed by the brakes and suddenly stopped or bumped into something. Then you see the two people, still restrained in the not-broken seats starting to freak out a little. Seats tilting-broken?---Where?

[coastrfreak2000]

Seat tilted, seat breaking? How exactly did a seat break and which one? I saw the video and saw no evidence of a seat breaking. I find that hard to believe. Where is the evidence? Is it in the video because I didn't see it. I saw the ride accelerate, cable debris flying, the train turned and started to go up the top hat but didn't make it so it rolled back, (nothing with the seats yet), then it was slowed by the brakes and suddenly stopped or bumped into something. Then you see the two people, still restrained in the not-broken seats starting to freak out a little. Seats tilting-broken?---Where?

 

If you watch closely it looks like the boy's seat bends forward a little. It happens around 14 seconds into the video when the train is coming into the brakes backwards.

[RCFreak]

Again why with all the hysterics? It HAS happened before and WORSE, that ride is still operating (Top Thrill Dragster) as well as many many new ones built after the accident.

 

I did finally notice the "broken death seat tilt" and it was the one on the left, the kid's seat it tilts up a little after having to watch the video a few more times. While a bit worrisome, I'm sure a full investigation will be launched. And not for just the cable shredding, but for any damage done to the equipment including the train.

 

There could be an added benefit for a video of the incident as it probably will discredit any unsubstantiated claims by the two riders if they do decide for litigation.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Excellent point, but it doesn't help the kid's alleged leg injury, which from the video only recordes riders from the lapbar up...so it does get kinda tricky

 

@natatomic...

I misworded what I wanted to say and apologize for the confusion...I still believe jobs of this nature should be restricted to a 21-and-up basis, as yes, there are people in their 50's who still act like irresponsible teenagers, but the ratio of adults who act like teens is alot smaller when compared to the ratio of teens who act like teens. And no. the operators have no access to the onride photos or video, but can be requested by rides management should an incident occur...However I doubt highly this would have been how the video ended up on youtube.

 

As for the question of glasses...believe it or not, it was Intamin who banned eyewear from the ride, not the park. People find it hard to believe since Dragster has more lehweigh when it comes to such matters, but since Xcel was a prototype, much harsher restrictions were put in place than any of it predesessors, restriction which have not been revised, meaning the park still has to honor them.

[kidcoaster 2]

I would hate to be a Ride Op on a ride when that happens. Just knowing there is not really anything you can do to help till EMS gets there. I felt that way back in 06 when someone hurt their back on the Blue Streak can't imagine that scenario.

[Tmcdllr]

Ok, good info. I will check out the video again now that I know what to look for.

 

I still say that kid looks really goofy.

[natatomic]

@natatomic...

I misworded what I wanted to say and apologize for the confusion...

 

No problem.

 

As for the question of glasses...believe it or not, it was Intamin who banned eyewear from the ride, not the park. People find it hard to believe since Dragster has more lehweigh when it comes to such matters, but since Xcel was a prototype, much harsher restrictions were put in place than any of it predesessors, restriction which have not been revised, meaning the park still has to honor them.

 

Thanks for the information. Do you know why Pony Express has the same glasses policy?

[DBru]

^^Seriously...? You would probably look "goofy" too, if you were in the same situation.

 

In my opinion, this is an extremely scary accident...I can't even imagine sitting in those front seats while this was going on.

 

Am I the only one thinking that if Xcelerator utilized Intamin's OTSR's (which tighten considerably when the train is launched), the boy's legs/waist would have been completely crushed when the seat jammed forward? Makes you glad that this particular accident didn't occur on Storm Runner or KK...

 

 

 

**Edited to add the carrots.

[Rastuso]

^^

 

I think the fact that Pony Express has the same policy proves the other poster knows not what he is talking about. My guess is that it has something to do with California.

 

RO

[natatomic]

^I would have thought so too, except that it was the only park on the entire West Coast trip that had this policy. It's the only park I've EVER been to with it, actually. Although it was limited only to a handful of rides.

[ebl]

"Unless anyone's heard of an 80mph elevator..." (Me)

 

"It's acceleration, not speed, that puts stress on cables." (Kennyweird)

 

I figured, but an elevator would have to accelerate to 80mph.

 

Eric

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^^

 

I think the fact that Pony Express has the same policy proves the other poster knows not what he is talking about. My guess is that it has something to do with California.

 

RO

Sure...don't trust the guy who was certified for the ride and read the Service Manual directly from Intamin, who would have absolutely no idea what he's talking about...Now seeing as how I have no idea what I read in clear print from the manufacturer the EXACT reason Xcelerator does not allow glasses, would you like to make more guesses?

 

EDIT:Not trying to be a dick, but I KNOW that's why you can't take glasses on THIS ride, Pony Express is not the ride in question and is irrealevent. I offered fact. If someone disregards it for speculation, so be it, but don't automatically dismiss it because YOU YOURSELF didn't see it. Tons of people here have worked on rides and know what they're talking about.

[Rastuso]

It may have said that in the manual to begin with. BUt there is still another reason as to why it is STILL enforced that way with another coaster that goes much faster, operated by the same company. There is a very specific reason why that coaster does not allow glasses, when much larger versions of the same type ride DO. And it is not because CF forgot to ask Intamin if it'd be OK to let folks wear glasses. I'd guess the ride ops are bitched at multiple times a day about it. Unless CF is utterly incompetant, and haven't thought about it.

 

I still put my money on California, or maybe a combination of CA and a group of Knott's lawyers still kneejerking after the PP incident.

 

RO