22 People injured on a Vekoma Boomerang

Saturday, 10th of January - Fantasilandia

The malfunction occurred when the train arrived the chain lift, at the time the last car of the train disconnected, which returned to the station making the trip back, without much problem. Then the train went off the chain lift and braked roughly before getting into the loop, therefore the cars never crashed. There weren't any injured people on the last car, minor injuries were the result of sudden emergency braking.

The coaster will be closed 3 weeks for investigation, in which Vekoma will collaborate

Fantasilandia attended those affected, leading them to health centers, without much problem, some suffered minor bruises and crisis panic, which were normal for an emergency of this magnitude

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZEnB5hI2zg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loz4HGV8dJE

I took some photos today of the coaster

The train stopped there

OK I'm confused. The last car of the train derailed or detached?

^From what I understood it detached. What I find odd is how it made the trip back "normally".

How would the last car even make it through the circuit? It would not be that high up on the spike so I don't think it would have enough momentum to get through.

^From what I understood it detached. What I find odd is how it made the trip back "normally".

Considering it says that it disconnected at the lift catch, that makes it extremely odd. The only way I can think of it returning "normally" is if they sent the train up the lift and the last car was pushed through by the rest of the train.

^When I said "normally" what I meant was that I was surprised that the last car (given that it was the lowest one on the second spike) would make it back to the station without stalling.

Detached from the rest of the train, the lift, or something else? If it disconnected from the train how would it have made it very far at all? The cars are trailored so no matter where it broke you'd end up with one too few bogies to make it back.

I don't see how this is news, 28 people are injured on every boomerang every time they hit the "dispatch" button.

To clear up any confusion: my interpretation is that the train was being lifted backwards up the lifthill to begin the ride when the front several cars of the train broke off of the back car and that portion of the train dropped through the station, through the cobra roll, and vallyed in front of the loop. The back car was probably simply lowered into the station again since it was still attached to the cable car.

So somehow the train decoupled itself, which seems like it a definite maintenance fault.

Here's another video. It's hard to tell but is that the last car in the station while the other cars are vallied between the loop and the spike?

I don't see how this is news, 28 people are injured on every boomerang every time they hit the "dispatch" button.

Robb, Yes that's the last car in the station....

Yikes!

22 injured on a boomerang? Sounds like its operating normally.

Wow that's horrible! But I think the back car is possible to make it back to the station if the train's position is at the top of the spike. Boomerang pulls 5.2 G's of pain and single car can make it around the course faster. But with all the banging from the lower speed, are we sure those 22 persons aren't on the last car?

But with all the banging from the lower speed, are we sure those 22 persons aren't on the last car?

Yup, people in the last car were ok

^ Just kidding!

This accident is so scary! I don't know which one is scarier, the detach or Boomerang's E-Brake can stop the train that fast

Apparently there was another accident today here in Chile, but this time in Felicilandia (located in Valparaiso) where a car got stuck in a Zyklon coaster and got hit by another car (the exact same accident happened in Fantasilandia in 2013) , there was an injured woman

http://m.cooperativa.cl/noticias/pais/region-de-valparaiso/lesionada-por-accidente-en-montana-rusa-fue-operada-de-urgencia/2015-01-12/232734.html

This accident is so scary! I don't know which one is scarier, the detach or Boomerang's E-Brake can stop the train that fast

Those steel cables are supposed to prevent such an accident. Definitely odd.

When I was a lead at Boomerang at KBF some douchebag hopped the gate that's next to the stairs at the right in this picture. The train had just released from lift 2 and I had to slam on the E-Stop. Those brakes brought that train to a grinding halt and made a sh*tload of noise. The brakes definitely worked as intended.

So will this affect operations on the other 700 boomerangs or will it just be chalked up to a freak isolated incident?

It probably won't affect operations necessarily however most parks will be even more diligent when inspecting the trains.

This does pose an interesting question. Can a coaster model ever be too "big" or "time-tested" that a serious incident wouldn't effect operations at different parks?

What I mean is that, because i-Box technology was pretty new, NTAG's incident closed Iron Rattler as a safety precaution. But Boomerangs have been operating safely for decades.

To clear up any confusion: my interpretation is that the train was being lifted backwards up the lifthill to begin the ride when the front several cars of the train broke off of the back car and that portion of the train dropped through the station, through the cobra roll, and vallyed in front of the loop. The back car was probably simply lowered into the station again since it was still attached to the cable car.

 

So somehow the train decoupled itself, which seems like it a definite maintenance fault.

To me that definitely sounds like the most logical explanation. I struggle to see how a single car would make it back through the circuit on its own.

As for what will happen with all the other Boomerangs, I would assume that an inspection of the links between the cars should be sufficient.

But Boomerangs have been operating safely for decades.

Kind of...

^Lol. Define "safely."

What I mean is that, because i-Box technology was pretty new, NTAG's incident closed Iron Rattler as a safety precaution. But Boomerangs have been operating safely for decades.

La Ronde's Boomerang's restraints opened during the ride's second half. Link