The Knott's Berry Farm (KBF) Discussion Thread

[Twister II]

I wonder if parks have finally started acknowledging that thing like cable snaps do happen. And if so, they would have a cable on the site that could be installed ASAP. Cedar Point, having two rides with cables should have at least one on hand...

 

Also what kind of warranty Intamin offers for parks. If I were to spend a couple million bucks on a ride, I would want a warranty!!!

[cgodsey]

I think the bigger question with these incidents is how many cycles were on these cables and what is Intamin's recommendation on replacing them? If they were over that recommendation, the park bears the blame. If not, maybe the cable manufacturing needs to be looked at.

[Xmeister]

Poor kid. Hope he and all of the other riders are ok.

 

Flying shredded metal is so dangerous. What if it ended up piercing someone's skin or a vital organ? This is not ok.

 

Another thing that disturbed me was how the kid's seat bounced forward suddenly towards the end of the video.

 

What's that about?

[cosmic hearse]

That's pretty freakin' scary! Looks like AOL has picked up the story.

 

http://news.aol.com/article/xcelerator-roller-coaster-accident-at/677012

 

BUENA PARK, Calif. (Sept. 18) - An amusement park in Southern California says a cable snapped on a roller coaster, sending a 12-year-old boy and a man to hospitals with injuries.

 

Knott's Berry Farm spokeswoman Jennifer Blazey says the accident on the Xcelerator roller coaster happened shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Orange County amusement park.

 

A video posted on YouTube appears to show pieces flying into the faces of riders and a boy's reaction after being hurt.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHuL1h_Xiw

 

[ginzo]

As if I needed another reason to hate this crappy park.

 

Glad everyone is OK though.

[ginzo]

^You do assume some inherent risks, but you also assume that the park takes every precaution necessary. And parks do some stupid things with their rides, like put corn starch on cables in drop towers even though the operating manual doesn't recommend this practice.

 

As much as they are designed to create the illusion of fear, roller coasters are supposed to be a very safe activity. If I wanted to do something that was actually dangerous, I'd take up base jumping.

[AllenA07]

ZOMFG! Was the kid hit with the cable? Why are they looking down as if there feet are on fire...are they?

 

My guess is that the cable is decently hot just from friction. I imagine that it would burn if it hit you.

[alexinla]

For those of you who think it is funny, asking that the park should have a second cable avail in case of this happens or find it so hilarious to dub the video....

 

Honestly? We watch something where people got kinda lucky that nothing worse happend. I would like to see you guys on that train and see how YOU would have reacted

 

Thankfully everyone on that ride is ok, but to make light of the situation is (sorry to say) rather disgusting

[themeparkman25]

Has Accelerator had any major rehab since opening though? its pretty old(first intamin rocket) and it seems like something should have been updated by now,

 

What do you mean by major rehab? I would have imagined that in that significant amount of time it was down earlier this year they would have thoroughly checked everything.

 

 

Perhaps this is why Intamin switched to the LSM on iSpeed? Newer, safer technology than the cable pulling system. I don't know of any new accelerators planned for 10', but if I missed one, does it have cable launch of lsm?

 

 

^I think everyone on hear is just surprised to see it happen time and time again, and that there hasn't been a remedy for the problem. It is not that they are laughing or making fun of the people on it, I am sure a lot of people would have freaked out, but they are just remarking towards the commonality of this situation. And think from KBF's stand point, of your 3 main coasters in your park, one has huge sections of track being replaced and then another blows its cable. So that leaves you with 1 big coaster up (I love bullet), hard to draw crowds with that number.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

On a completely unrelated note, the poster of this video should fear for their job. This video could not have been purchased as with a situation of this magnatude, the video should not have been able to purchase. How this video ended up on youtube is questionable, but I'm sure heads will roll for it...

[Crazy4Coasters!]

Here's the article from MSNBC...

 

Caught on Tape: Coaster Attacks Two at Knott's Berry Farm

 

By Scott Weber

NBCLosAngeles.com

 

Two guests were smacked with debris after a cable came loose on the "Xcelerator" roller coaster at Knotts Berry Farm in Orange County, park officials confirmed Wednesday.

 

A 12-year-old boy suffered lacerations to the leg and a male adult complained of back pain, and both were sent to a local hospital. No other injuries were reported. A spokesman for the park confirmed that a cable came loose on the ride.

 

A YouTube video of the incident shows two people riding the Xcelerator, clutching the safety harness and screaming -- when suddenly debris flies through the screen and hits them. Both riders seem shocked, and one puts his hand to his head.

 

The accident is currently being investigated by the Department of Safety and Health and Knott’s Berry Farm.

 

Park officials said they check the ride every day and the correct cable was attached. Unfortunately their safety guide doesn't mention what to do when a cable breaks. They released the following statement:

 

Buena Park, Calif. (September 16, 2009) – Two guests were transported to the hospital today when a cable came loose from the Xcelerator roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm. The incident caused lacerations to one 12 year old guest who came in contact with the cable. A male adult guest complained of back pain. All other guests were asked for a statement and released.

 

Knott’s officials immediately suspended operation of Xcelerator. The ride is being inspected by Knott's Berry Farm and DOSH. The ride will remain closed until a full investigation can be performed.

[itnotfair]

That's pretty freakin' scary! Looks like KNBC has picked up the story.

 

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/Knotts-Berry-Farm-Rollercoaster-Accident-Injures-Guests-59751017.html

 

Thanks for posting that link. That video is insane and really scary. Definitely glad to hear that both of them escaped intact. If I were 12, that experience would probably have ruined coasters for me.

 

On a side note, read the comments after the video posting on the NBC site. Guy thinks that Supreme Scream is the Parachutes, and that the video is clearly "ancient." Hmmm, nope.

[rwilli82]

Watching the video, CF and those guests are very lucky that nothing more severe happened.

 

Watch at 0:15 on the video (if you choose to see it), the seat where the boy is sitting in changes position. The kids leg gets pinched under the harness because of the new position of the seat. It looks like some major chassis damage occurred as the train rolled back and maybe rolled over the cable and catch wagon.

 

Again, they are very very lucky nothing worse happened.

 

~Rob

[tkkyj]

Wow. That is the most damning and downright scary coaster video I've ever seen.

 

I will be surprised if this does not impact operation of Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka as well. There is a lot of crap flying in their faces on both the way up and way back down.

[ebl]

First the drop tower at SFKK, now Xcelerator. Where does Intamin buy its cables?

 

Eric

[Guest]

From Me.

 

I love how MSNBC said the coaster attacked the riders. Since when can coasters attack?

[Crazy4Coasters!]

Incredible that both guest didn't have any eye injuries (that I know of) after all the debris from the cable flew right into their faces. God really took care of those two.

[themeparkman25]

I will be surprised if this does not impact operation of Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka as well. There is a lot of crap flying in their faces on both the way up and way back down.

 

I thought the same thing happened on TTD back when it first opened in 03. But unlike Xcelerator, people actually got pretty hurt on TTD. Isn't that right or am I dreaming?

 

^For real, they are lucky nothing happened to them.

[Guest]

First the drop tower at SFKK, now Xcelerator. Where does Intamin buy its cables?

 

Eric

Not sure about the accelerators, but the drop towers are OTIS elevator cables.

[RCFreak]

For those of you who think it is funny, asking that the park should have a second cable avail in case of this happens or find it so hilarious to dub the video....

 

Honestly? We watch something where people got kinda lucky that nothing worse happend. I would like to see you guys on that train and see how YOU would have reacted

 

Thankfully everyone on that ride is ok, but to make light of the situation is (sorry to say) rather disgusting

 

I guess I'm disgusting cause I laughed my head off when I watched the video the first time. And if it were me on the train, I would have been more calm as I know what was happening and have had to deal with more ride accidents then I ever care too. And notice the two behind them not freaking out. Stuff happens all the time and they weren't horribly injured so why not laugh at it or make light of the situation (Isn't that the whole point of websites like break.com)? It's not going to change what happened either way. Don't get me wrong though, I'm glad they are ok and nothing serious happened.

 

I will be surprised if this does not impact operation of Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka as well. There is a lot of crap flying in their faces on both the way up and way back down.

 

I thought the same thing happened on TTD back when it first opened in 03. But unlike Xcelerator, people actually got pretty hurt on TTD. Isn't that right or am I dreaming?

 

^For real, they are lucky nothing happened to them.

 

Yeah it's happened before on Top Thrill Dragster, and it was more serious then these two, but nothing life threatening. Here's a news article about it. I'm sure whatever changes were made are already in place at Xcelerator and not much could have been done to prevent something like this. At least I hope not, but that may be an entirely different subject.

[Guest]

Ouch. That hurts me to read that comment. I hope those two aren't enthusiats.

[ebl]

"...but the drop towers are OTIS elevator cables." (Papas)

 

Otis (to my knowledge) makes very reliable elevator systems, and they had a hand in the design of Disney's Tower of Terror rides, too. However, normally, elevator cables aren't run as fast as they are on these rides.

 

Unless anyone's heard of an 80mph elevator...

 

Eric

[Crazy4Coasters!]

^ Are Stratosphere's elevator cables Otis too? I wonder how fast those elevator goes? I don't even want to imagine those cables snapping!

[alexinla]

I guess I'm disgusting cause I laughed my head off when I watched the video the first time. And if it were me on the train, I would have been more calm as I know what was happening and have had to deal with more ride accidents then I ever care too. And notice the two behind them not freaking out. Stuff happens all the time and they weren't horribly injured so why not laugh at it or make light of the situation (Isn't that the whole point of websites like break.com)? It's not going to change what happened either way. Don't get me wrong though, I'm glad they are ok and nothing serious happened.

 

RC Freak, disgusting might not have been the right word(I am european afterall, so bad choice of words)

And I certainly dont think you are "disgusting" because you laugh at the video

 

Just at the point when I saw it, we did not know what happend to the kid(as it seemed something in the leg area was not right). As you said, It could have been a lot worse and with no legit newsreport(still?!?!) I guess we can assume nothing major happend

 

It's just that things like this should not happen, not to me, you, that boy or anyone else. Not to be preaching or anything(after all, we are on the same team), but(you know there was a but coming,lol)I dont think we should make light of this particular situation as plenty of coasters with the same system are still operating and same thing can happen again with (hopefully not) a worse outcome

[tkkyj]

The reason that nobody else on the train reacted as much as these two is because these two deflected most of the debris away from the other riders.

 

I am particularly alarmed that the seat became dislodged as a result of the incident. I don't recall anything like THAT happening as a result of Top Thrill Dragster's broken cable, and it could mean that far more serious damage to the seats and passengers is possible during such a failure.

 

I was hoping to drive down and ride this weekend. Damn.