Six Flags closes more rides after Roller Coaster accident.

CBS News ^

[AxelPaulsenJr]

One thing is for certain, all that has been mentioned as potential problems is going to be receiving a lot of scrutiny.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

And now her life is ruined

Ever hear of Aimee Mullins? Aimee Mullins is a former NCAA track star, model, movie star and currently serves as President of the Women's Sports Foundation. Yes, Mullins is also a double-amputee; when she was a year old she lost her lower legs...

[spunkets]

Cable is sort of a commodity item, like bolts. As long as the cable was intended for overhead lifting where life is at stake and the breaking strength was met, there should be no problem.In general, it is common to be able to upgrade parts at a lower cost, like cables, when they are bought aftermarket. I don't know the mechanism, but the most probable thing is the cable wasn't installed right and was certainly installed by someone that didn't understand the mechanism. If the 2 cables were different diameters, even if they were the same part number(older one being strained), they would present different diameters on the spools. That would result in the newer cable taking on most of the load.

At any rate, there was a maintenance mech and chief that overlooked the op. They apparently failed to appreciate the fact that cables can become loose and break unexpectedly, and ignored that real possibility and the consequences. They failed to recommend and install guards.

"If Six Flags replaced the cables with ones that failed to meet or exceed Intamin's specs, then don't you think Six Flags could be held liable for negligence in its cable-replacement choice?"

Generally, mods to machinery that has public access like this, even the installation of guards require a licenced engineer's stamp. So, depending on the details...

[cubreporter]

Yipes...brave you. It’s too extreme for me.

[Scoutmaster]

Very informative, thanks.

[HamiltonJay]

In a nutshell, yep.