Our roller coaster injury attorneys note a group of riders that spent a frustrating afternoon stuck at the top of a roller coaster in California this weekend. 12 riders spent about two hours on Sunday stuck at the top of extreme roller coaster Superman Ultimate Flight. The coaster is at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California.
Firefighters used a crane and bucket system to bring water to the stranded riders, who at least were not trapped in the upside-down “flight” position that gives the ride much of its thrill. The crane and bucket system could have been used to bring the stranded riders to the ground. But Discovery Kingdom workers managed to get the roller coaster cars unstuck. The cars were then allowed to roll backward along the track to the ground. No injuries were reported in the incident.
The Superman Ultimate Flight stopped flying suddenly at around 2:30 p.m. for unknown reasons. A Discovery Kingdom spokeswoman said that as yet they had not determined why the roller coaster stopped.
Superman Ultimate Flight began operating at the park on June 30, 2012. Since the sudden stoppage of the extreme roller coaster, the ride has been closed down for safety inspections. The Kingdom spokeswoman said that the ride would reopen at an as yet undetermined time after thorough safety inspections had occurred. Our roller coaster injury attorneys hope the inspections will be able to pinpoint the cause of the roller coaster coming to a halt at its roughly 11 story tall peak.
The Superman Ultimate Flight at Discovery Kingdom can reach speeds of more than 60 mph. It is one of the modern, computer-controlled extreme roller coasters. It has two cars, each holding 6 riders. Riders begin and end the ride in a “seated” position, but as the cars move along the ride, they reposition their riders into a hanging, “flying” position. Hence the name, Ultimate “Flight.” Riders experience a pretzel loop and tight horseshoe turns as they fly through the air like Superman.
Unlike Superman, riders sometimes get “stuck” as they fly. Modern, computer-controlled roller coasters like this one have high tech safety features unavailable on earlier incarnations of coasters. For instance, sensors keep continuous watch over the track, train, and their conditions. If the sensors detect mechanical failures or a change in speed or positioning of a train that might indicate an impending crash, they can activate block and braking systems along the track to slow and stop the train.
The sensors are designed to notice even small dangers that human eyes might miss. It may be that the sensor system on this Superman Ultimate Flight experienced a glitch. Or it might be that some small, unnoticed condition in the track or train put the riders in imminent danger.
Our roller coaster injury attorneys caution that when you’re traveling 60 mph, upside-down, around a 270 degree turn, even a small bird temporarily alighting on the track ahead could present the possible of serious injury. Just this past week, a boy on the Kingdom Ka coaster in NJ had to be hospitalized for injuries he received when a small bird collided with his face and neck while the ride was in motion.
Learn about some of the safety features on the roller coasters you ride in the linked article by our roller coaster injury attorneys.