JACKSON – Over the weekend, guests were stuck on the Nitro rollercoaster at Six Flags after the ride stopped.
Around 3 p.m. Saturday, guests were evacuated off the ride when it did not complete its full cycle due to its safety sensors.
Kristin Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for Six Flags Great Adventure, explained how their rides contain multiple safety sensors and when the coaster detects something, it will automatically stop moving.
“Roller coasters are highly complex machines with redundant safely systems. They are divided into sections, and each section contains a place that a train can safely stop and allow guests to easily exit the train… Roller coasters contain a multitude of safety sensors that monitor all aspects of operation while the ride is in motion,” Fitzgerald said. “Just like your car, a roller coaster can produce a warning light to indicate something is out of the ordinary. When this happens, the ride’s computer stops the ride. But unlike your car, a roller coaster will not move when a warning is indicated. It requires a trained maintenance expert to investigate the warning before restarting the ride.”
“In most cases, the warnings are explored and cleared quickly, and the trains restart from their safe locations to complete the ride. Other times, it requires an extended period of time to clear the warning, and for the comfort of the guests, ride operators unload them while this work is performed,” Fitzgerald continued.
All guests that were on Nitro were escorted off the ride safely and the coaster was back up and reopened for guests shortly later in the day.
“The safety of our guests is our top priority,” Fitzgerald said. “All of our major thrill rides have signs to help our guests understand the role that safety sensors play in ride stoppages and unloads. Ride stops are an indication that the ride’s safety systems are working as designed.”
