DEATH ON FREEFALL AT ICON PARK

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Their stance is that they modified it within limitations stated by the manufacturer.

The ride as far as I read is only operable for safety up to 250lbs. The 14 year old weighed 340 lbs. That alone is outside of the limitations by the manufacturer and highly dangerous given a 90lb difference in weight. We know they modified the two seats to allow larger guests to ride it. That is outside of the limitations of the manufacturer.

The information the inspection from Quest Engineering & Failure Analysis, Inc found "“Seat 1’s harness proximity sensor was manually loosened, adjusted and tightened to allow a restraint opening of near 7 inches,” about 4 inches more than the normal opening range for the restraints" and "The opening on the restraint may have grown to as much as 10 inches with force"

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

A daily safety check would not have determined this was an issue unless those same people who did the safety checks were notified that the gap should not be wider. A daily safety check also would not have to do with weight of guests as they are allowed on the ride. What I do agree with is a person who mentioned the sensor should not be able to be satisfied electronically with a gap that is outside the manufacturers design. In this case that's what happened (and why this ride could continue to operate without issues) so a daily safety check would have still given a green light and it would not have shown an issue.

Go/no-go gage would be easy to create for the gap between restraint and seat. It would basically just be a bar of a length within and outside of the manufacturer's specifications. Have ride operators check every seat at the start of the day before opening.

Agree on making it very difficult to modify the gap once manufacturer builds the ride. I could see some tuneability being built in due to lack of precision in manufacturing but there are ways to make it borderline impossible to adjust after that. This ride was only a few months old so it's hard for me to believe the maintenance crew had a legitimate reason to mess with the sensors already.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

so it's hard for me to believe the maintenance crew had a legitimate reason to mess with the sensors already.

Right which is why I don't think a daily safety check would have done anything to change the outcome. Not to be confused with thinking I don't think safety checks shouldn't be occurring, they absolutely should, but I don't think that would have changed anything.

As far as we know they passed the inspection in December 2021 and it was adjusted afterwards. Maybe the investigation will tell us how long it's been operating with the gap widened that would be helpful to know as that could lead to more persons involved in culpability.

The gap was widened intentionally, the loading attendants knew it was widened or at least had been told "put larger people in just these seats". I don't disagree about your talk about a go/no go and have them check it but there's no indication that was even needed so I can't personally say a daily check would have caught that, but I don't think it's a bad idea at all and one the manufacturer might consider (or something similar) suggesting operators of their rides employ.

 

[seashoreCM]

I do not understand this bit about the sensors can be moved and the gap widened at the park after installation and within manufacturer's specs.

I say no, it can't. If the manufacturer's specs were safe enough to allow a wider gap then the mechanism would have come from the factory already widened to the allowable specs and already tested that way..

 

[Alicefan]

I don't understand why all rides with over the shoulder harnesses don't just go ahead and put the extra seatbelt strap between the legs? Such a simple fix.

 

[Disney Bobby]

I don't understand why all rides with over the shoulder harnesses don't just go ahead and put the extra seatbelt strap between the legs? Such a simple fix.

Absolutely. Seems like a no-brainer, especially on a ride like that where you are sitting outward and exposed, with nothing to save you if the over the shoulder harness parts fail. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Just a matter of when, not if.

 

[DLgal]

I don't understand why all rides with over the shoulder harnesses don't just go ahead and put the extra seatbelt strap between the legs? Such a simple fix.

The restraint design is fundamentally flawed on that ride. It should have been a one piece hard restraint that clicked into a center section between the legs. Anything less is irresponsible and reckless, given the forward tilt of that ride and the excessively fast deceleration.