3 taken to hospital:

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x1528014722/Three-hospitalized-after-Spider-collapses-at-Camden-Park

http://www.wsaz.com/mobi?storyid=126069823

Oh my. Is this ride similar to Monster?

Yes, it is the smaller, more commonly found version.

More on this;

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/6337

Terpy, we have talked before. I live in Proctorville, OH(Just minutes from Camden Park)

I hope there were not any significant injuries. I remember when the "Hurricane" flat ride collapsed at Camden, years ago,

if I recall it was a hydraulic failure. Do you think this could be the same. It has been a while, so I don't recall just how the ride works.

Another thought would be something broke on one of the "Spider" arms, causing it to collapse.

I know it's too early to tell, just a thought.

Oh god, I go here all the time. It'd identical to monster. But smaller. This is not good.

Park open again. More...

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1528014732/Camden-Park-back-open-following-Saturday-night-Spider-accident

Note how this article is written. Few places would see anything quite like that, and no, the park is not a major newspaper advertiser these days.

As to metal fatigue, note this: (and thanks, Cameron):

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/132384/

Things like this doesn't not happen at KI, or CP. I don't understand what they mean in that statement!

“When you think about as many years as the park has been around, things like this don’t happen very often. They have a good safety record,” Caudill said. “You see it in the news that things like this happen at King’s Island and Cedar Point. When you are dealing with mechanical things, it’s always possible that they can break down.”

What's King's Island?

Fine editing as often seen? Earlier the local police officer was quoted as saying the park was in its 100th season. That was later changed to 107th.

The newspaper states that the arm broke free, and it also states the no one was in the cabin of the ride? So, what gives who exactly got hurt?

Things like this doesn't not happen at KI, or CP. I don't understand what they mean in that statement!

"When you think about as many years as the park has been around, things like this don't happen very often. They have a good safety record," Caudill said. "You see it in the news that things like this happen at King's Island and Cedar Point. When you are dealing with mechanical things, it's always possible that they can break down."

I don't either.

Maybe it's stating that a big and famous park like Cedar Point or Kings Island could have a ride accident happen just as likely as Camden Park?

I thought that was a pretty ridiculous statement as well, especially including Cedar Point, Kings Island maybe with incidents like SOB and Flight Commander, but what has ever happened at CP other than a car getting stuck or a mild bump with another car?(watch out for that wild mouse) I'd say this was pretty major compared to that. Quite honestly even though no one was in it and seriously got hurt, I'd say this is pretty major compared to Kings Islands notorious incidents - part of the ride collapsing, that is pretty scary, and I think saying these things happen is not a good pr statement, they should show more concern.

See the comments:

http://www.wsaz.com/mobi?storyid=126069823&comments=y

See the comments:

http://www.wsaz.com/...9823&comments=y

Just last week we discussed this park. It was my husband's childhood park, the comments are kind of sad. I hate it when quirky little parks go down.

When you think about the millions and millions of people who attend theme parks, incidents like this are literally "needle in a haystack" types of things.

--Beatle, wondering how many people died of cancer, heart attacks, and auto accidents in the time it took him to post this......

Just more reasson that the park at the Highlands needs to become reality.

Seriously though I am thankfull there were no serious injuries. I like Camden and have enjoyed my visits, but am amazed it is still opperating after all these years.

A. Broken part blamed:

http://www.wsaz.com/mobi/news?storyid=126069823

B. Park's insurance company had inspected ride in last week, state in May:

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/6406

Terpy, you can possibly clear up something.

I'd read somewhere that the Monster/Spider rides have a part that is difficult to inspect due to the design of the cart, is that correct? The design of the cart, the rounded formed design, I think, is what allows a smaller person and a heavier person to spin, thus allowing the smaller person to get Ralph Revenge on the heavier person for whatever reason.

It doesn't look as if the rumored part wasn't to blame for this particular accident, because then the cart would have fallen off, not the sweep.

Metal fatigue, which is the likely culprit here, is best tested for through nondestructive testing, usually done during the off season. Obviously, visual inspection (and perhaps more) within a week of the failure, did not indicate a problem.

A. Broken part blamed:

http://www.wsaz.com/mobi/news?storyid=126069823

B. Park's insurance company had inspected ride in last week, state in May:

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/6406

I know that this is off topic. We have a weekly racing series Nascar track in Columbus Ohio. A few years ago, one of the stands fell down hurting some fans. The odd thing is that the stand that fell was inspected by the tracks insurance company the week before. The building and fire people said that the insurance company only did the normal inspection and not the more detailed inspection. The track wasn't cited for anything as far as i know.

Is metal fatigue rust?

No. Metal fatigue is just what it sounds like. Over time, metal can and sometimes does lose strength, such that it can bend or break when it is not supposed to have.

Not necessarily. Metal fatigue is akin to bending a paperclip back and forth many times. Eventually, the material becomes fatigued and will snap. Rust (more properly oxidation), can also lead to metal fatigue. You can have rust without metal fatigue, just like you can have metal fatigue without rust.

One answer from an architect who knows his stuff, another from whatever the heck that it is that I do these days (heck, I've been at it nearly three months, and they've kept me so far!)

A. Broken part blamed:

http://www.wsaz.com/mobi/news?storyid=126069823

B. Park's insurance company had inspected ride in last week, state in May:

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/6406

I know that this is off topic. We have a weekly racing series Nascar track in Columbus Ohio. A few years ago, one of the stands fell down hurting some fans. The odd thing is that the stand that fell was inspected by the tracks insurance company the week before. The building and fire people said that the insurance company only did the normal inspection and not the more detailed inspection. The track wasn't cited for anything as far as i know.

I was working here at the assignment desk that night, and I will never forget hearing the words "mass casualty incident" come across the scanners... certainly was a difficult one to cover, but miraculously none of the injuries were serious.

IIRC, it was the metal structure supporting a concrete observation deck below the press box that gave way, sending the concrete and a few people crashing down onto spectators below. Just a year or 2 after that incident, a modified school bus participating in a bus racing event hopped over a concrete wall and crashed into a group of spectators. Again, nobody was critically injured, miraculously.

And the car that fell at Camden was empty. This would doubtless have been far, far worse had that car been occupied. Reports indicate the entire ride only had 7 people on it when the incident occurred.

Is metal fatigue rust?

Just take a few looks at some of the GASM decontruction photos. Metal fatgue can clearly be seen in several of those photos.

And given its age, the fate of comparable coasters like Shockwave at SFGAm, one cannot help but fret for the future of GAd's GASM's kindred.

Metal fatigue, which is the likely culprit here, is best tested for through nondestructive testing, usually done during the off season. Obviously, visual inspection (and perhaps more) within a week of the failure, did not indicate a problem.

Here's another one.

Camden Park is back in the news due to a lawsuit over an injury that happened on the Tilt-A-Whirl last season.

https://wvrecord.com/stories/511399901-mother-sues-camden-park-after-her-son-was-ran-over-by-tilt-a-whirl-car