Rocket Launch Simulator, Power Cut, Six Die:

http://sify.com/news/six-die-in-china-amusement-park-accident-news-international-kg4eucbghhf.html

Link - The Standard

More info and photos at the link, including a brief description of the ride:

At least nine people - two from Hong Kong - were also injured when the Space Journey, a dome-like, space shuttle simulator plunged 12 meters to the ground with more than 40 people inside.

The dome device offers the thrill of a rocket launch, spinning 360 degrees while going up and down, with a 24-meter wide screen providing space scenes.

The simulated journey was coming to the end of a routine lasting about five minutes when it all went wrong in the Chinese-designed thrill feature.

Joe Lo, a designer at The Standard who rode on the simulator last month, said he thought it dangerous.

He said 48 riders are arranged to sit on a circular simulator four to a row. Then the simulator spins while taking riders up and down to a height of 12 meters.

"It's hot and choking inside," he said. "It seemed that if the machine went haywire it would be very dangerous."

Lo Kok-keung, an engineer from the department of mechanical engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, offered the thought that the accident was caused by "high acceleration due to gravity."

He explained: "The dropping of a simulator can create an extremely high impact force. The machine, which I believe has a weight of five tonnes, could create two times more impact force."

Had this accident happened in the USA and the article appeared in the average American media source, it would have called the ride, no matter what it was, a roller coaster, or at least showed a picture of one...sad to say.

Im confused on what happened, the power was cut, so did the cabins just fall to the ground?

And is this ride like Mission Space.

I think this is an English translation meaning in the original the power went out or the power failed...and I don't think this ride is like Mission Space...Mission Space does not ascend in the air...nearly 40 feet, nor is it of Chinese design.

It sounds like that this guy shouldn't have been designing rides and if the he feels that it's too dangerous to operate it shouldn't have been running at all.

Uh, the designer was with the newspaper...not the designer who designed the ride!

Wow this is awful! My prayers go out to them.

US coverage:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/06/30/china.park.deaths/?fbid=W46zTQKi0In

Ugh the comments on the US coverage link...

This link takes you to a page about the park. http://en.octeast.com/holidayPlan/know/tea.shtml

Space Journey

By taking an aircraft simulator, you can personally experience the 2G acceleration of gravity in the time of rocket launch. The dome in the diameter of 24 meters vividly reproduces the scenic wonder of the vast universe so that your dream of flying to space appears to come true.

It sounds like a supped up enterprize.

Seton Hall Student Was Among The Six Dead:

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/07/seton_hall_student_dies_in_amu.html

that's terrible to hear, how often do rides have mandatory inspections overseas, because, whatever it is, the time between really seems to me it needs to be shortened?

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/07/05/deadly-chinese-amusement-park-mystery/

it's still very sad, hopefully now parks in china will open their eyes and start having more inspections on rides and other attractions.

Every time I think of this horrible event I get very sad. Wish we knew what really happened. I suppose anything you ride there is that chance of death even at KI.

The most dangerous ride in most parks is the one you take to get there...

Think about Scrambler, when in full swing if a car would let go your pretty much done for but it never really happens but with anything there is always that possibility.

Think about I-71...that semi barreling behind you as you brake to get off the Interstate at Western Row could have its brakes fail and your last Diamondback ride could then really have been your last...

Sure could but I am talking about rides at "A" park not cars.

Machinery. It will eventually fail. I remember being told the brakes on Superman at Six Flags New England could not possibly fail. And then, they did.

I had breaks go 100% out in rush hour in Milford at the I-275 exit ramp, everything was like in slow motion. The only thing that saved me was because the lights just hesitated that second and I swerved through the traffic, would have been a second later I imagine I wouldn't have been here.

The purpose of inspection and preventative maintenance is to attempt to prevent such failures from happening, by catching the signs early on. No park that values safety would ever cut the budget for such a program.

I agree but things do happen, when my brakes went out I just had them inspected at Midas three days before hand.

Oh no. My prayers are coming.

A new breakthrough in the investigation of last week's deadly theme park accident in Shenzhen reveals that one of the ride's four-person compartments broke off from the ride's axis at high-speed and smashed to the ground before being struck by three of the other carts. The information is the first official word as to the cause of the stunning crash that had baffled experts.

The government-organized investigatory team was able to piece together the events of the tragedy that left six people dead and ten injured from data held in the ride's black box, according to Xinhua. Why the cabin came unattached from the main axis of the park's popular Space Journey ride remains unknown.

Authorities have detained 11 people for interrogation about the accident. Equipment operators, managers of equipment suppliers, and maintenance workers are among those held under suspicion of "dereliction of duty," according to the Shenzhen Daily....

http://blogs.wsj.com...t-park-tragedy/