Mindbender (Galaxyland)

Or after RCDB 5.2 g

Mind Bender is a built by Schwarzkopf steel roller coaster in Galaxy land, an amusement park inside the West Edmonton Mall ( Edmonton, Canada).

Mindbender accident

Gained notoriety the web through one of the worst roller coaster accidents at all. On June 14, 1986 three people were killed, one was seriously injured and two suffered fractures. The remaining ten inmates escaped with bruises and severe shock. Could be determined later, the cause of the accident was a structural engineering error. At one of the train broke away due to maintenance defects, the wheel design. In this accident, said member hit a pillar and dragged on the rail. The train was slowed down by no longer made ​​the loop and rolled back, the last member proposed a concrete pillar.

The company Triple Five Corp.. , Which owns the shopping center and the amusement park, wanted to make the company Schwarzkopf GmbH is responsible for this accident. However, the evidence on the ground showed that the park among other things, an inspection instruction of the " General Safety Services Division " (a kind TÜV) had ignored - ever had refrained for reasons of cost ( $ 70,000 ) to an acceptance by the German TUV. The trains were examined only superficially or not taken as prescribed for checking the track. A cursory inspection during vehicle operation does not allow control of the screws and bolts on the wheel designs. Many of these bolts were during the initial period of operation is no longer in its original location. Furthermore, had the operation manual does not translated into English at the beginning. It assemblers are instructed to check all screws and bolts week. After the accident it was found that over a quarter of all bolts were present at the axle designs no longer and / or damage had. A person in charge could not be found until today.

The web is today, according to technical changes and tightening of security measures, again. Since then, no incidents have been reported.

Drive, trains and construction

• Drive: Friction
• Crew: before the accident: five trains, four tier, for 16 persons / train; after the accident for safety reasons: three trains, tripartite, for twelve persons / train
• Construction: lift - drive gear connected by drive shafts with drive, reverse flow protection and brakes