CALIFORNIA—On June 12, at around 8:10 p.m., an employee and a guest at California’s Great America amusement park were injured on the Flight Deck ride. Both individuals were transported to a hospital following the incident for medical treatment.
An eyewitness told KPIX 5 that they saw the employee step into the path of the moving roller coaster to reach a cell phone that had fallen from the ride, and was then struck in the head by the the front row of ride when the train passed. The employee was dragged 10-15 feet, suffering traumatic injuries to the head. The rider that was hurt suffered hand injuries.
The management team at Great America released a public statement regarding the incident: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do and remains our highest priority. We are working closely with local and state authorities to investigate this matter.”
Flight Deck was built by the legendary Swiss firm, Bollinger & Mabillard, and is considered to be of “great historic significance” according to the American Coaster Enthusiasts fan group. The ride was first known as Top Gun when it opened in 1993. Another serious incident occurred in 1998, when a man was struck and killed while retrieving his hat from under the tracks.
The roller coaster has been closed pending further investigation, according to authorities. There is no concern for mechanical problems with the ride, but officials are still investigating.
