https://getpocket.com/explore/item/schlitterbahn-s-tragic-slide?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Read the article. There would have had to be a method of securing the sled to the slide. With auto brakes as speed limters You cannot eliminate the effect of too much air getting under it at speed otherwise.

Anything man makes can break or malfunction as well. A problem with the water cannon's pressure regulation could have blown them up the slide all too easily. At increased velocity. The owners claims that they did not know what really happened. Where either pure ignorance of essentials or a cover up.

Some principals involved sound like they were involved with substance abuse. A really bad combination. It even sounds like many of their employees had concerns about it as well on a continuing basis.

Worse of all there had been prior reports of it getting air under it basically. This indicated it was breaking the suction force between the sled and the water. There was nobody wise enough or responsible enough to shut it down when the need was obvious. Constant contact with the water underneath was not guaranteed and that was needed. It helped regulate the speed. Otherwise the mass the sled and people in it was effectively lighter so it can and will be accelerated faster. By the water cannon.

Your first statement is the real kicker; there is no way to secure the raft to the slide. Roller coasters are secured to their track via various hardware methods. Water is slippery, this is why many people fall down in the shower.

The designers had absolutely NO engineering or physics background. In addition, there is very very little regulation of water parks in the U.S.A.

The minute I got a glimpse of the design I was thinking holy crap. Haven’t those people ever seen hydroplane races? You guys are exactly right. Nothing securing it to the track. Nothing but slippery.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

If the thing had been half as high, and not nearly as steep, still would’ve been an exciting ride

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

When we look at real engineering testing, i.e. the 100 years or so Mercedes Benz has been performing safety testing, wind tunnels to test aircraft models, etc. it is shocking that more testing wasn't performed before going LIVE.

It only took two years for disaster to strike. The minute I looked at the photo of that, I was uneasy. Adrenaline junkies can get weird. It’s never enough.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

There were some pre cursors involved. Not as serious but they did happen apparently. On that water slide. Historically overtime there have been many accidents with amusement type equipment.

A traveling carnival set up in this area many years ago now. A ladies long hair got picked up by the shaft bearing on a seat axle on a ferris wheel. It effectively scalped her.

Shields for the area as a safety type measure where mandated. This ride may have existed for years with no prior issues.

I worked briefly for a carnival in Colorado in '92. A week before I came on they had been just across the border in Taos, NM and a young woman was killed on a ride called the Himalaya. I did a search, didn't look highly dangerous but something clearly went wrong.

Amazing thing is how most all of the rides are held together by pins held in place by R keys. The pins are not weak, about 3/4 to 1 inch diameter steel and the stress is not in the direction of the R keys but still seems a bit funky.

On waterparks, 20 years ago a senior high school party at a water park in Concord went wrong. They had a senior tradition of trying to send as many people as possible through one of the higher rides. They essentially pushed employees out of the way and sent, I forget, 20 or so people down the slide. It gave way not far from the top, spilling all of them about 2 stories to the ground, presumably with support hardware in the way. Almost amazing that only one was killed, many injured. Not the park's fault of course.

Ahh, just found the story - 33 were on the ill fated trip. They had previously done this at a park in Manteca, the article says those slides were built into a hill. Much better support. Let's say an average weight of 140 lbs, that's 4620 lbs.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/06/04/20-years-ago-bodies-came-falling-out-of-the-sky-in-concord-water-park-tragedy/

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Ever since I went to engineering school....Ive been suspicious of every amusement/carnival ride Ive seen since. The traveling carnival stuff worries me more than anything - they are not hiring high-skill workers to assemble and disasemble this stuff (?)

that being said, Id still rock any roller coaster any day of the week.

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

That was tragic. I might be wrong but it seems to me that more accidents happen in water parks than on roller coasters.

I only worked two cities - Grand Junction and Durango. Was part of the tear down in both, the buildup in Durango. Both times the teardown went on til about 4 am. And then off to the next city. There was a wild social life about it. Mostly teenagers and 20 somethings but oh well. I was younger then. We had a couple of carny BBQs. Some of the guys were all right.

But it's a hard ass life. I had seen enough.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

You should start talking to the guys who have to design those rides. Those engineers have to jump through dozens of hoops just to sell a ride because they know what kind of folks will be assembling them.

A colleague of mine has one son working at JPL and another designing mobile roller coasters. He said that the roller coaster one is a better engineer because he has to be.

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

This is yet another example of why libertarianism is nonsense.

Regulations needed to exist and be enforced. This shouldn't have happened.

__________________
Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

Reality check. Working for the government as a regulator does not pay enough. Degreed engineers go after higher paying jobs. That only leaves retards and incompetents to fill the regulator positions.

"People get the government they deserve"

- Will Rogers