Orlando Free Fall

[horsesboy]

I clearly stated that above the picture when I posted it...

"Here's a screenshot of the kid on the right before the carriage went up."

For reference, here are a couple pics of him reported on the news...

On the left here...

Sorry - think I was reading faster than comprehending

I personally read it as "right before" not as a direction and at first glance thought the line was a arrow to the rider that had an accident so the mistake isn't totally unreasonable.

 

[CoasterTalkBob]

They partially showed it on the Today Show this morning but stopped it right before the kid fell out.

Glad to know that they stopped it short.

I believe it's the one in black that had the accident and yeah that looks really lose but it can be hard to tell in pictures. It's better to let the experts with all the info at hand do a comprehensive investigation.

Agreed..... We can see something that might look odd but we don't know what tolerances and regulations that ride has.

 

[Coasternerd]

I found out that ICON Park doesn’t actually own the Orlando Freefall. They own the land it sits on and leased it to the Slingshot Group who built the ride and operate it.

 

[horsesboy]

I found out that ICON Park doesn’t actually own the Orlando Freefall. They own the land it sits on and leased it to the Slingshot Group who built the ride and operate it.

yeah I have seen that noted a few places.

 

[jpcommons]

Based on the video I watched before I realized what I was looking at, i would say the victim appeared to be more thrown out as the ride seats swung forward at the braking section and did not appear to fall out. Almost like how a jai Alai ball would be thrown from the stick in an underhand motion. After looking at the picture of the victim in the seat as well as hearing the ride had no seat belts, I am surprised it made it this long before an accident happened. It seems like anyone with a large upper chest, shoulders, stomach, or even just tall could have potentially had this happen to them since reports are saying no seatbelt mechanism. The larger the person, the larger the gap between the overhead restraint and the seat. Would be fine probably if the seat were in a fixed position like BGWs, but the pulling back and then swinging forward at the braking section should have required more restraints or more restrictions on rider size, in my opinion at least.

 

[Brambo]

The seat does not swing forwards when it hits the break run, a la Falcons Fury. They do have a tilting function that others have mentioned, but if you watch any POV of the ride the seats stay tilted forwards until the ride is fully complete (car back on ground) and then they tilt back to their original position at the same slow speed they tilt forwards at. The fact that the seats were still tilted forwards certainly helped with the ejection, but seemed that mainly it was just the braking force.

 

[horsesboy]

Based on the video I watched before I realized what I was looking at, i would say the victim appeared to be more thrown out as the ride seats swung forward at the braking section and did not appear to fall out. Almost like how a jai Alai ball would be thrown from the stick in an underhand motion. After looking at the picture of the victim in the seat as well as hearing the ride had no seat belts, I am surprised it made it this long before an accident happened. It seems like anyone with a large upper chest, shoulders, stomach, or even just tall could have potentially had this happen to them since reports are saying no seatbelt mechanism. The larger the person, the larger the gap between the overhead restraint and the seat. Would be fine probably if the seat were in a fixed position like BGWs, but the pulling back and then swinging forward at the braking section should have required more restraints or more restrictions on rider size, in my opinion at least.

Without a lot more details on how that particular restraint is setup and work that is a hugely broad assessment.

 

[Jonesta6]

NBC's coverage yesterday had a video clip that appeared to show a ride op chatting with guests right before and during the first part of the ascent.

14-year-old dies after fall from Orlando amusement park ride

14-year-old Tyre Sampson died Thursday after falling from a ride billed as the tallest of its kind at ICON Park in Orlando. Slingshot Group, the company that operated the ride, says it’s “cooperating with authorities and cannot speculate on a photograph or videos.”

www.nbcnews.com

It seems the op is asking if the guest had checked their seatbelt though it's not clear if this is the same ride (obviously not the same rider that died), if the op already checked all restraints before chatting/otherwise followed procedures, or what seatbelt they're referring to.

 

[horsesboy]

NBC's coverage yesterday had a video clip that appeared to show a ride op chatting with guests right before and during the first part of the ascent.

14-year-old dies after fall from Orlando amusement park ride

14-year-old Tyre Sampson died Thursday after falling from a ride billed as the tallest of its kind at ICON Park in Orlando. Slingshot Group, the company that operated the ride, says it’s “cooperating with authorities and cannot speculate on a photograph or videos.”

www.nbcnews.com

It seems the op is asking if the guest had checked their seatbelt though it's not clear if this is the same ride (obviously not the same rider that died), if the op already checked all restraints before chatting/otherwise followed procedures, or what seatbelt they're referring to.

The reports that I have seen indicate there were no seatbelts just the OTSR mechanism.

 

[CoasterTalkBob]

The reports that I have seen indicate there were no seatbelts just the OTSR mechanism.

This is my knowledge as well. Everyone attacking the lack of redundancy though seem to forget that redundancy can also be built into a single restraint as well.

 

[Jonesta6]

The reports that I have seen indicate there were no seatbelts just the OTSR mechanism.

That was why I thought it was worth mentioning that the clip wasn't particularly clear - is it from the same ride, was the op following procedures correctly, and what seatbelt was being referred to?

 

[vacoasterfanatic]

according to other reports of that same cycle, he was joking to other riders about the LACK of a seatbelt after saying that, probably to scare some people a little bit.

 

[Unagi]

NBC's coverage yesterday had a video clip that appeared to show a ride op chatting with guests right before and during the first part of the ascent.

It seems the op is asking if the guest had checked their seatbelt though it's not clear if this is the same ride (obviously not the same rider that died), if the op already checked all restraints before chatting/otherwise followed procedures, or what seatbelt they're referring to.

The guy who filmed this video showed his friend asking why there wasn't a seatbelt. The ride-op told her it didn't come with one.

You can see it highlighted in this video...

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Direct Link to Embedded Media Source

Later on right before they started the ride, he was joking with her and her friends about checking the seatbelt.

 

[b.mac]

This is my knowledge as well. Everyone attacking the lack of redundancy though seem to forget that redundancy can also be built into a single restraint as well.

Majority of restraints for these types of rides, Class 4 and Class 5, have all the safety redundancies built into the restraint mechanism itself. Unless it's the Click Fix seatbelts that Intamin uses on their rides there are few, if any, seatbelts that are actually rated to hold the force of a human body trying to push through them.

Majority of the seatbelts on rides only serve as an easy, visual confirmation to operators that the rider is safe to ride.

 

[bill s]

Based on the video I watched before I realized what I was looking at, i would say the victim appeared to be more thrown out as the ride seats swung forward at the braking section and did not appear to fall out. Almost like how a jai Alai ball would be thrown from the stick in an underhand motion. After looking at the picture of the victim in the seat as well as hearing the ride had no seat belts, I am surprised it made it this long before an accident happened. It seems like anyone with a large upper chest, shoulders, stomach, or even just tall could have potentially had this happen to them since reports are saying no seatbelt mechanism. The larger the person, the larger the gap between the overhead restraint and the seat. Would be fine probably if the seat were in a fixed position like BGWs, but the pulling back and then swinging forward at the braking section should have required more restraints or more restrictions on rider size, in my opinion at least.

I finally looked at it due to curiosity (it cut off right after a blur exited a seat) and not my impression at all. It's mostly perspective that appears to cause an outward motion.

Hypothesis: he stiffened his body in panic during the freefall by straightening his legs, pushing his body forward against the angled restraint.

 

[Nicole]

If there is any way for a rider to get in a position in the seat that would result in that person falling out, then there is a serious design flaw.

 

[Unagi]

Just watched an interview with his father. He said his son was 6'5" tall and weighed 340 lbs! He also said his son was denied riding everything on this trip to Orlando due to his size except this one.

 

[horsesboy]

There is apparently a change.org petition calling for the ride ops to be criminally charged. I personally believe that unless there is something something extraordinarily damming that has been uncovered that it is WAY to soon to know if criminal charges are warranted.

 

[I64 Trekker]

There is apparently a change.org petition calling for the ride ops to be criminally charged. I personally believe that unless there is something something extraordinarily damming that has been uncovered that it is WAY to soon to know if criminal charges are warranted.

Maybe we could start a change.org petition to let the investigators do their job before allowing petitions to be started calling for people to be criminally charged?

 

[warfelg]

There is apparently a change.org petition calling for the ride ops to be criminally charged. I personally believe that unless there is something something extraordinarily damming that has been uncovered that it is WAY to soon to know if criminal charges are warranted.

Tell me you live in an impatient world without telling me you live in an impatient world.