pgathriller Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 I know this is really old but what really happened to Kingda Ka? Why did it close for so long? I have been looking around and on Ultimate Roller Coaster I found this- I would like to inform everyone of the truth behind kingda ka's closure earlier this season- which almost resulted in making the list for NJ's biggest busts of 2005 in NJ Magazine. A tester who visited the park weekly to test the coaster sent the ride up with 20 dummies which then fell out one by one and reached as far as the Viper construction area. (VCA) Before re-opening the coaster- extensive tests were done with dummies and no dummies fell out. However, there have been several protests outside of Great Adventure with regard to closing this coaster due to rumors of it not being safe. A staff member of six flags remarked, "Kingda Ka may be closed by the end of the season. And if it is closed again, it will be for good." What a 25 million dollar waste that would be. Here's the link- http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/forums/cgi/forum1.cgi?read=162509 Can anyone tell me what really happened. I know know what it says really isn't true but I thouht it was funny so I posted it here. I don't think they would close down a 25million dollar ride for good when it was barely open for half a season. I just want to get my facts straight. Please help!
Real Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 Use some common sense. How plausible does that sound? Did you also take the time to read the posts below that one? Its obviously a fake and someone just trying to get some attention drawn to their name. The rides problems were documented, just look around and get your info from RELIABLE sources, not forums (though these can be reliable depending upon who the info comes from)
pgathriller Posted January 4, 2006 Author Posted January 4, 2006 ^ I know it was fake. I posted it because I thought it was funny. It shows how stories can be twisted around and then every body gets a different story than the real one. I just want to know what happened to Kingda Ka.
Real Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 Yea, just read through the replies. I just scanned and got alot of information from it that seems to be correct. As for direct information, you wont ever get detailed info. Park would never release anything more than the bare bones of what happened to appease the public. Plus too much data is always bad. People distort it, like the above.
pgathriller Posted January 4, 2006 Author Posted January 4, 2006 ^ The stuff posted would say a version of what happened and then someone would shoot it down and put in their version. Does anyone here know what really happened. *Robb- if you are reading this maybe you can answer my question because you know everything!!!
SonOfBeastSucks Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 KK was busted for possession, but he did his time. Leave him alone, he regrets his decision.
rjholla2003 Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 So this is what finally makes me post here. Your answer lies in the second section of this article. http://themeparks.about.com/od/sixflagsarticles/a/KingdaMalfuncti.htm
alpengeist04 Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 ^ That about sums it up. I was at the park the day it happened.
pgathriller Posted January 4, 2006 Author Posted January 4, 2006 ^ Did you see or hear it happen? Was everyone freakin out because there world record coaster is broken?
Ed Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 Wikipedia has it in a bit more detail: A bolt failure caused the liner inside the trough that the launch cable travels through to come loose and create friction against the cable. The friction caused the train to not accelerate to the correct speed. The rubbing of the cable against the inside of the metal trough caused sparks and shards of metal to fly out from the bottom of the train. The engine, as it is designed, attempted to compensate by applying more force to the cable to attain the 128 mph (206 km/h) launch speed. The brake fins that rise up into the braking position go up on a timing pattern, independent of the launching mechanism. The fins are mounted in steel supports that are connected to actuators that raise and lower the fins into the desired position. There are four braking zones, and each zone has about 24 individual brake fins. The fins actually caught up to the launching train as the timing pattern of the rising fins was faster than the accelerating train. The magnetic brakes began to slow the train in the launch area, and the engine tried to compensate even more, and dragged the train through the brake zones. The catch car released, but the train was still in the brake zone and came to a complete stop at the bottom of the hill. This malfunction occurred during a test run, no passengers were aboard. Damage occurred to the launch cable (frayed and needed to be replaced), engine (minor routine damage to seals), and brake fins (many needed to be replaced). The brake fins in the launch section are mounted in such a way to keep fast moving trains from moving backwards into the station, but a fast moving train being pulled forwards caused an unexpected stress on a number of fins that bent them forward. Not all of the fins need to be replaced, but there were more damaged fins than Six Flags had replacements, and had to be special ordered from Intamin
alpengeist04 Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 I only saw the train at the end of the launch track. Of course, the rumors in line had the train shooting off the track. I was lucky enough to ride it 2 days before, though.
trustkill22 Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 OOOOOOOOOOOO Ok. I never really knew what people were talking about with the trough and stuff but now I understand what Ed posted up. I guess it would make sense with that long down time.
socalMAN123 Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 Wow, that's some pretty crazy stuff! If it is closing by the end of the upcoming season, then I probably won't be able to ride it. But yet again, it is almost the same thing as TTD except a little bit faster, taller, and with an extra bunny hop! ---Brent 8)
HCOSurfer90 Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 You don't believe that a dummy flew off do you? For after the accident it opened about 2 months later after the gauge was replaced and I did manage to get on it. Trust me on this, Kingda Ka is 100% safe.
shepp Posted January 5, 2006 Posted January 5, 2006 I can't believe we're having this discussion six months after the (much-discussed-at-the-time) fact... Oh well, I guess off-season is a Slow News Day.
rjholla2003 Posted January 5, 2006 Posted January 5, 2006 It's slower than slow. So slow I can't wait to get back to Great Adventure to take more pics of El Toro's construction.
coasterlover420 Posted January 5, 2006 Posted January 5, 2006 See...This never happened to any other rocket coaster. I'd say that 100% safe is way off, too. I'd say more around...80% And a dummy can't fly off the train unless there are two hydraulic piston failures and the seatbelt completely rips in half. That's crazy.
rjholla2003 Posted January 5, 2006 Posted January 5, 2006 As long as things can fail, nothing is 100% safe. You can be close, but most times people are one burst hose or a bolt away from danger. Rocket coasters are no exception to the rule. Look at the two stratas. TTD chucked theming into the queue, sprayed shards of steel at people, and loves to pollute lagoons. Ka chucked brake fins into it's queue, scraped it's liner, and shot shards of miscelleneous metal around. All of those things were just "one of those things" where it was a small thing that went wrong and something big happened.
coasterlover420 Posted January 6, 2006 Posted January 6, 2006 At least TTD didn't seriously break down like a month after it opened!
GAcoaster Posted January 6, 2006 Posted January 6, 2006 Ummm...yes it did. This is the topic that won't die!
coasterlover420 Posted January 6, 2006 Posted January 6, 2006 How? I dont' even think I heard anything on the subject. Sorry I posted^^that
Real Posted January 6, 2006 Posted January 6, 2006 BTW for the record, TTD chucked its themeing away from the queue, not into it Which is a big detail. Into the Queue = injuries, possible death Not in Queue = everyone safe
stew560 Posted January 6, 2006 Posted January 6, 2006 Not bashing TTD, or even trying to be argumentative...but, Is it really a big detail? Ka's queue was empty at the time, so does it matter? Could TTD's theming have possibly flown into the queue instead? Was it designed NOT to go into the queue? Both accident were random, unpredictable acts, So I don't see how the end result matters. Both accidents could have gone VERY differently. And what about the people that got hit by flying shards of metal on TTD? Yeah TTD is MUUUUUUCH safer... At least on Ka noone was injured. That makes it safer right? Oh thats right, just another uncontrolable random act. (I'm not bashing either ride here, I'm just pointing out that no ride is "safe")
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