Designer Questioned Mission: Space's Safety, Testing
Suit Claims Disney Never Allowed Company To Conduct Final Safety Test
POSTED: 6:32 pm EDT June 15, 2005
UPDATED: 7:13 pm EDT June 15, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. -- WESH 2 News has uncovered serious questions about the safety and testing of the ride Mission: Space.
Mission: Space's Designer Questioned Safety, Testing In Lawsuit
The questions come from the company that designed and built the attraction.
The questions are raised in a 2003 lawsuit filed by Entertainment Technology Corp., of Pennsylvania -- the company hired personally by Michael Eisner to design and build Mission: Space.
The bottom line -- ETC said Disney never allowed company engineers to conduct a final safety inspection for Mission: Space's before guests began riding it.
Mission: Space has been touted as one of the innovative, realistic and exciting rides of all time. It's a space flight simulator, which spins guests fast enough to create the feeling of weightlessness in space.
ETC designed and built Mission: Space, so who better to answer questions about the attraction's safety? But now, WESH 2 News has obtained a 2003 federal lawsuit questioning the ride's safety and the suit was filed by ETC claiming "Disney refuses to allow ETC to participate in the safety testing and analysis" as outlined in its contract.
ETC claims Disney prevented their engineers from conducting final safety tests on the ride. The lawsuit also claims Disney took over responsibilities for the completion of the attraction after the project fell behind schedule.
The pending lawsuit says, "If ETC is prevented from using its years of experience with human centrifuge systems to participate in the safety testing and analysis ... then there are increased risks of injury to the public at-large."
Despite those concerns, Mission: Space opened to the public and has been operating since 2003. More than 8 million guests have ridden it, and Disney engineers say it is operating normally. The ride was back open Wednesday.
"I think it's a safe ride. I've ridden it personally," said Jerry Aldrich, an expert in amusement park rides. He also worked for Disney for 27 years.
WESH 2 News asked him about the lawsuit's claims, specifically whether this is a safety issue.
"No, I don't believe so. I don't see where that's founded," he said.
The lawsuit asks for millions of dollars in damages and an order allowing ETC to inspect Mission: Space to assure that it is safe.
Disney has counter-sued, alleging failures in ETC's performance and design. Because of that, neither side will talk to WESH 2 News about the pending lawsuit.
ETC also has a financial agenda. The lawsuit also alleges that Disney failed to honor a $26 million contract. It asks for $15 million in damages.