Aug. 25 (UPI) — A mechanical malfunction has brought the famous Cyclone roller coaster in Brooklyn, N.Y., to an indefinite halt, officials said. The Cyclone, one of the main attractions at Luna Park, was in midride with people on board when it shut down Thursday. It will remain stopped while crews determine what went wrong and how to fix it.
Investigators said the malfunction was caused by a cracked chain, and one of the cars remained stuck in place Friday. Several people were rescued safely from the near century-old wooden coaster, and there were no injuries reported.
The amusement park was issued a pair of violations as a result of the malfunction. One was for failure to properly maintain the ride and the other was for not reporting the incident to the state.
In a statement published to its website Sunday, Luna Park said the ride had been inspected and cleared by New York City’s Department of Buildings a day prior to the malfunction. The ride will remain closed until it is fully repaired and passes city inspections, it said.
“At Luna Park in Coney Island, safety is our number one priority and ride maintenance, and thorough testing happens daily before Luna Park opens and throughout the day as necessary. The Coney Island Cyclone is a 97-year-old roller coaster that is meticulously maintained and tested daily,” it said.
The Cyclone, which opened on June 26, 1927, reaches a maximum speed of 60 mph and has a total track length of 2,640 feet, with a maximum height of 85 feet. Each set of cars can carry 24 passengers.
On Sunday, Clark Ivers and Yasmine Larasati told AMNY they had hoped to go on the ride but are glad they weren’t on the ride when it shut down.
“I feel kind of relieved that that didn’t happen to me,” Ivers said. “She’s an adrenaline junkie, but I’m not, and this was on her list to do for a while.”