Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread

[Beavis97]

Just read this:

 

"A family who was in line behind the woman that fell said she was riding with her daughter and son-in-law. The family said her seat restraint seemed to go down normally before the car left. They said when the train came back, the seat restraint was down."

[TyRush]

^^Oh i agree with you both that NYP probably just "copied" a report just so they have one. Im just mad they spread lies (yes they do this all the time so i dont know why its shocking) And people that where there who got interviewed just said random stuff and lied either for the news stations pleasing or for their own. I think thats the sickest part of all this, other than the fact she passed away

[eddie200330]

Just read this:

 

"A family who was in line behind the woman that fell said she was riding with her daughter and son-in-law. The family said her seat restraint seemed to go down normally before the car left. They said when the train came back, the seat restraint was down."

 

Other sources claimed it was a child? I guess that could mean an older married person, but it kinda threw me off in that regard as I thought they meant child as in little kid......

[Skycoastin Steve]

The restraint being down when the train came back doesn't necessarily mean it was down the whole ride. If the guy on the train who tweeted he saw the restraint pop up before she fell out is correct, then it's entirely possible the lapbar just went back down and relocked during the rest of the ride.

[BigBomer]

Headed off to the park again today, I'll try to keep You guys filled in.

[eddie200330]

The restraint being down when the train came back doesn't necessarily mean it was down the whole ride. If the guy on the train who tweeted he saw the restraint pop up before she fell out is correct, then it's entirely possible the lapbar just went back down and relocked during the rest of the ride.

 

Wasn't he like 2 rows back? Would he have actually been able to see it and if so how did he know to look? I am calling BS on his tweets.

[ArgoZ]

Having a lap bar only restraint meet your "gut" before your thighs is exactly how these accidents happen. How could you think you're secured by a LAP BAR if it is meeting at your stomach? If an obese person were to tuck their fat into the restraint once you experience negative G's or a shift in position, that fat will likely lift, leaving a sizeable gap between body and restraint.

 

At Cedar Point the other day a large woman needed the effort of two ops to get the restraint closed and bucked on Raptor. She sat directly in front of me and it didn't even look like her buttocks was in the seat properly. I don't understand why they even allow it. If you can't secure your restraint yourself, you shouldn't be able to ride.

 

That said, I am not implying this woman was obese and above scenario is what happened here. Only the investigation will determine the cause of this accident.

 

Oh and Carmen Brown...any relation to Sweet Brown?

 

This is particularly true on a "double down". The fat is released and now riding on top of the bar after the first hill leaving a huge gap just in time for the next hill, leaving no time for the rider to attempt to adjust their harness or body.

[robbalvey]

Not that this should come as any surprise, but SFOT has announced the ride will remain closed while they do their investigation:

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20130719-texas-giant-to-remain-closed-as-six-flags-investigates-woman-s-fall-from-roller-coaster.ece

 

Six Flags Over Texas announced Saturday morning that the Texas Giant roller coaster will remain closed as authorities investigate a woman's fatal plunge from the Texas Giant roller coaster Friday night.

 

The Arlington amusement park still has released few details beyond reporting that its medical staff and city paramedics had responded immediately. The victim’s name was not released.

 

Besides keeping the ride closed, Six Flags has canceled a concert by singer and actress Bridgit Mendler that had been scheduled for Saturday night.

 

Park officials offered their condolences to the woman’s family as investigators began to study the cause of the accident, which occurred after 6:30 p.m. Although the ride was closed, the park remained open through the evening.

 

Early attention was beginning to focus on witnesses’ reports that the woman’s safety restraint may have come undone.

 

Carmen Brown of Arlington was waiting in line as the victim was being secured in for the ride. She said she believed that the woman’s son was on the ride with her.

 

Brown said the woman had expressed concern to a park employee that she was not secured correctly in her seat.

 

“He was basically nonchalant,” Brown said. “He was, like, ‘As long as you heard it click, you’re fine.’ Hers was the only one that went down once, and she didn’t feel safe. But they let her still get on the ride.”

 

She said the victim fell out of the ride as it made a sudden maneuver.

 

“The lady basically tumbled over,” she said. “We heard her screaming. We were, like, ‘Did she just fall?’”

 

Investigators were interviewing witnesses on the ride, some of whom reported that the woman had been thrown from the roller coaster as it rounded a turn. Arlington police declined to comment on the accident.

 

Hysterical passengers had to wait to disembark as the train stopped short of the platform.

 

John and Darlene Putman of Rockwall said they were in line to board the roller coaster as the train in which the woman had been riding returned.

 

John Putman told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he heard two people screaming, “‘My mom! My mom! Let us out, we need to go get her!’”

 

Reports from park visitors began spreading rapidly on social media online, drawing worried parents and others to the gates to check on family members.

 

Joshua Paul Fleak posted on Twitter that he believed that the woman’s restraint had come undone.

 

“Just witnessed someone fly off of the Texas giant two seats in front of me,” he said. “… Coaster turned and she was gone.”

 

The Texas Giant opened in 1990 as the world’s tallest wooden roller coaster but was closed in November 2009 to convert it to a steel-and-wood hybrid.

 

Although the rebuilt ride incorporates some of the original structure, it includes 4,700 feet of new track.

 

When it reopened in April 2011, the expanded coaster offered a smoother ride and a higher top speed of 65 mph. It features a 79-degree drop and three turns sharper than 90 degrees.

 

Friday’s accident was the second ride fatality for a guest at the park since it opened in 1961.

[Skycoastin Steve]

The restraint being down when the train came back doesn't necessarily mean it was down the whole ride. If the guy on the train who tweeted he saw the restraint pop up before she fell out is correct, then it's entirely possible the lapbar just went back down and relocked during the rest of the ride.

 

Wasn't he like 2 rows back? Would he have actually been able to see it and if so how did he know to look? I am calling BS on his tweets.

The fact that he called it a "restraint" and the fact that he actually sounded like a somewhat intelligent human being gives me a little faith in his story. Much more faith than the click lady. Just because he was two rows back doesn't mean he wouldn't or couldn't have seen exactly what happened.

[coasterkid124]

An investigation may take 6 weeks or more. I don't know how strict Texas is on ride inspections and regulations, but in New York, a full investigation must be done and the ride has to be inspected before it reopens.

[chadster]

Headed off to the park again today, I'll try to keep You guys filled in.

 

How's that, are you doing the investigation? Park employees will not have any comment.

[australianalex]

The Texas Giant opened in 1990 as the world’s tallest wooden roller coaster but was closed in November 2009 to convert it to a steel-and-wood grape flavored fruit chew.

Well, that's the most tragically hilarious use of the forum filter!

 

I doubt it'll be too long until we get a clear picture of what truly happened. But I'm definitely betting it was due to rider dimensions rather than an actual malfunction, but I won't jump to conclusions until we have that official report.

[simon8899]

German news are now picking up the story but those items that I checked don't name Gerstlauer or RMC. It is mostly headlined "Tragic accident at Texas amusement park".

[robbalvey]

Headed off to the park again today, I'll try to keep You guys filled in.

Please let us know if Pandemonium opens or not.

[megametal]

Well, I guess we can expect newly elected to the senate Ed Markey to have a field day. As we know, he loves to exploit these tragedies.

[TXThrillster]

Just heard the news. WOW, my condolences go out to the family. I can't imagine the terror of the riders on that particular train after witnessing what happened for the rest of the ride! Holding on for dear life perhaps.

[SoCalCoasters]

The restraint being down when the train came back doesn't necessarily mean it was down the whole ride. If the guy on the train who tweeted he saw the restraint pop up before she fell out is correct, then it's entirely possible the lapbar just went back down and relocked during the rest of the ride.

 

Wasn't he like 2 rows back? Would he have actually been able to see it and if so how did he know to look? I am calling BS on his tweets.

The fact that he called it a "restraint" and the fact that he actually sounded like a somewhat intelligent human being gives me a little faith in his story. Much more faith than the click lady. Just because he was two rows back doesn't mean he wouldn't or couldn't have seen exactly what happened.

 

That and the fact that he actually seemed genuinely disgusted by what he witnessed (and has now locked his twitter account), I would be much more willing to believe his story. I feel terrible for anyone who had to witness this awful tragedy.

[BrandonR]

The restraint being down when the train came back doesn't necessarily mean it was down the whole ride. If the guy on the train who tweeted he saw the restraint pop up before she fell out is correct, then it's entirely possible the lapbar just went back down and relocked during the rest of the ride.

 

Yeah I don't know if I completely believe that either. You don't exactly have a good view of anyone else's restraint on the ride, and to say you were a couple rows back and somehow noticed a lapbar popping up seems to be a stretch.

 

Not to mention those lapbars are freakin' hard to push down, and I dunno if the force from the ride alone would be enough to push it back down had it indeed released.

[gerstlaueringvar]

The restraint being down when the train came back doesn't necessarily mean it was down the whole ride. If the guy on the train who tweeted he saw the restraint pop up before she fell out is correct, then it's entirely possible the lapbar just went back down and relocked during the rest of the ride.

 

Yeah I don't know if I completely believe that either. You don't exactly have a good view of anyone else's restraint on the ride, and to say you were a couple rows back and somehow noticed a lapbar popping up seems to be a stretch.

 

Not to mention those lapbars are freakin' hard to push down, and I dunno if the force from the ride alone would be enough to push it back down had it indeed released.

I remember some how Alan said he would like his coasters to stay low Gs, but I think the force should be enough to push it back.

[BrandonR]

All I can say is Giant is one of the few coasters I've ridden that if there's a little room between my legs and restraint, the forces from the ride alone do not cause the lapbar to end up stapling me unlike other, traditional, ratcheting restraint systems.

[Skycoastin Steve]

The restraint being down when the train came back doesn't necessarily mean it was down the whole ride. If the guy on the train who tweeted he saw the restraint pop up before she fell out is correct, then it's entirely possible the lapbar just went back down and relocked during the rest of the ride.

 

Yeah I don't know if I completely believe that either. You don't exactly have a good view of anyone else's restraint on the ride, and to say you were a couple rows back and somehow noticed a lapbar popping up seems to be a stretch.

 

Not to mention those lapbars are freakin' hard to push down, and I dunno if the force from the ride alone would be enough to push it back down had it indeed released.

So you're trying to tell me that being two rows back, as the train is ascending a hill, you wouldn't be able to see a restraint pop up? That's the story you're rolling with?

[DougMJr]

Something I have been thinking about, but can't confirm that it is related to this incident.

 

I have always had a problem with ride-ops "forcing" restraints to close for people with irregular body perorations. I was at Darien Lake recently and saw two ops hammering on the restraint for Blast off in order to accommodate a larger man.

 

I would argue that this is more embarrassing than doing the "walk-of-shame" as everyone in line noticed what is happening. I heard some rude comments after the rider exited after his ride from other park guests. Additionally, it is putting the riders safety at risk.

 

I hope that isn't the case here. I understand that it is probably difficult for ride-ops to learn how to tell guests "no."

 

Again, this is just my opinion, and not necessarily related to this incident as we do not have enough info.

[VCXfreak]

Woke up to here the sad news about NTAG! Watched several LA new channels and they have said dumb SH@# and have their facts all wrong. Local Ventura County news station seem to have the facts straight about roller coast accidents. We just need to be patient and wait to find out the cause for this unfortunate accident

[coasterkid124]

I wish that someone who actually knew how roller coasters work saw the incident, so we would have more of an idea of what really happened.

[BigBomer]

Pandemonium is OPEN