Friday, August 5, 2005
Disney altered crash ride
By PEGGY LOWE and TONY SAAVEDRA
The Orange County Register
ANAHEIM – Last week's collision on the California Screamin' roller coaster occurred three months after Disney made major modifications to the braking system without consulting the ride's manufacturer. State records show Disney changed two brakes in April – in the areas where a purple train passed through without stopping before colliding with a red train and sending 15 people to the hospital. The modifications were found to be safe by state investigators during a June 2 inspection.
But the ride's Swiss manufacturer, Intamin AG, says Disney didn't talk to the company about the changes, which is considered a good safety practice industrywide.
"If you need heart surgery, I would say you go to a heart surgeon," said Sandor Kernacs, Intamin's president. "Knott's Berry Farm would never modify a ride without calling us and getting approval. In the state of New Jersey, you cannot modify a ride without the manufacturer's approval."
Disney is not required by California law to consult with the ride maker, as opposed to in New Jersey, which has one of the strictest ride-safety laws in the country. State investigators are still looking into the cause of the Disney crash. The braking systems in zones six, seven and eight – near the end of the ride, where the crash occurred – are part of the inquiry.
Disney declined to comment on the cause of the crash until the state investigation is done, said Rob Doughty, a Disney spokesman.
"It's irresponsible to speculate on things until that report is completed and released," he said. "That report will pull everything together and weed out what's relevant to what happened and what's not relevant."
Doughty said Disney considers itself to be the overall manufacturer of its attractions, starting with design work conducted by Disney engineers. Disney views Intamin AG as a subcontractor for California Screamin'.
"Because we routinely make modifications and adjustments to our attractions, we see ourselves as the manufacturer," he said.
The park's ride changes are reviewed and approved by state inspectors to ensure their safety, Doughty said. William Avery, a national safety consultant for amusement parks, was surprised to learn Disney hadn't talked to Intamin before making changes to the roller coaster. The best safety practice is to go to the original manufacturer before any major modifications are made, he said.
"Why they wouldn't go back to the manufacturer for input ... to me, is not following good protocol," Avery said. "Why wouldn't you go to the person who has the full understanding of their total design intent?"
The American Society for Testing and Materials, a scientific and technical organization that sets voluntary standards for engineers in several industries, also calls for ride owners and operators to first consult with the ride's maker on any changes, he said.
California Screamin' has been closed since the collision. State inspectors don't know when their final report on the cause of the crash will be complete.
The ride's track is designed to perform "cascade stops," in which brakes in the track can stop cars at separate locations so they don't bump into each other. Disney requires that the trains run with at least one brake zone between them, a precaution to prevent crashes. As required by state law, Disney officials notified the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the brake changes in a letter dated March 28. Signed by Rich Langhorst, Disney's vice president of maintenance and engineering, the letter said the ride was ready for inspection April 29 and would again be operating May 2. Disney declined to comment on how long the ride was closed.
Since the steel roller coaster began operating at Disney's California Adventure theme park in 2001, the ride has passed numerous state safety inspections. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health has already completed this year's annual three-phase inspection and "no safety hazards were observed."
The brake modifications included relocations and the addition of "actuated eddy current brakes" in zone eight, and the addition of "passive eddy current brakes" in zone six. The purple car hit the red car in zone eight. Knott's Berry Farm representatives could not be reached for comment.
however i disagree with the rocket statement. have they had problems? heck yeah! but they are very new and cutting edge so that is to be expected. top thrill dragster is having a good year.
