Officials: Poor Maintenance, Operator Error to Blame for 'Superman' Injury

Posted on June 13, 2008 by Christopher McKinney
Hat Tip to Torts Prof Blog for its coverage of the State This picture, made public by the family of Kaitlyn Lasitter, shows the cable that snapped on the Superman Tower of Power drop ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park last summer.of
Kentucky's investigation into the cause of the June 2007 accident in which a teenager lost both of her feet on the 'Superman: Tower of Power' ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park after a cable snapped. 
According to the report:
"The cause of the cable failure has been determined to be fatigue, a progressive  failure of the mechanism. The cable on the ride was  in  a condition that caused the cable to fail  under  its normal load  in operation. It is  impossible to scientifically determine how  long  the cable  had been in a condition that could  lead to the  failure of the cable under  its normal  load. The cables when new are rated to carry at least six times the  load placed upon them during  normal ride operation. Maintenance records provided  by SFKK indicate the cable units and switches were last checked on June 14, 2007, and “no further action was  needed.” However, based on expert opinion, the deteriorating condition of the cable would have been detected using the procedures outlined  in the newer ride  manual.

* * *
The extent of progressive (fatigue) cracking would have  made  it possible  for the 
park personnel to detect the deteriorating condition of the rope had they  been 
following the  inspect ion  instructions given  in the  maintenance  manual.

* * *

The considered opinion of the Kentucky Department of  Agriculture  is the cable condition and ride operator response were the largest factors contributing to the  injuries of the ride patron."
The KDA report included this chilling synopsis of a statement that it was given by the main ride operator:
  • The group of three girls rode the ride once without incident. When that ride cycle had ended, the girls got to ride again because there was no line. I remember the same three seats were used the second trip. The seats were checked and the all clear was given. The ride went up.
  • After about two seconds I heard a noise like a rollercoaster chain clack. The ride was about eight feet off the ground. When I looked up the cord came out; the cord was flying about. The noise and the cable coming out happened at the same time.
  • I called #3333; the park phone number for emergencies. The person answering the phone asked what was going on.
  • I reached my head out and around the operator station while I was explaining the situation to the lady on the phone. I told the lady on the phone that the guests were screaming. I was not sure what the people on the ride were screaming due to the volume of noise in the park.
  • The lady on the phone said it was normal for riders to scream. I said the screaming was totally different this time because all the riders were screaming.
  • I can’t remember what the lady on the telephone was saying. I could see the top of the ride. The other ride operator, at the other panel, told me to hit Estop.
  • I hit Estop, but the ride came down normally.
  • I noticed a shoe had fallen on the blue covering. I saw the injured girl. I noticed she was blinking. The injured girl had shifted down in her seat, and had a leg up in the air. At first I thought the injured girl was dead, because she was so far down in the seat. I walked over to make sure she wasn’t dead.
  • I was still on the phone. I was screaming. The lady on the phone asked questions and tried to get me to calm down.
  • Several people came running through the gate and through the line, and began yelling at me. When I hit the Estop that caused the harness system to remain closed. People were yelling at me to let them out, but I needed a technician to do that.
  • The other ride operator was screaming, and she left the ride.
  • Some woman came up and called the police. The lady on the telephone with me hung up the phone to call for first aid. I then hung up the phone.
  • A man named Lou came and got me. Lou took me to Katie; and Rachel took me to the rides office about five to ten minutes after the accident. People talked to me and I gave a statement. The park employees had to find the other ride operator.
The bottom line is that the cables failed due to garden-variety fatigue that was apparently not noticed due to a lack of inspection. 

The State of Kentucky fined the park . . . $1,000.
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