A drop tower or big drop is a type of
amusement park ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and
brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. The most widely sold drop towers have been manufactured by
Intamin and
S&S Sansei, however Larson International and
Funtime have their own drop tower models available as well. Riders initially experience a sense of
weightlessness via
free fall, followed by rapid
deceleration, after which a magnetic brake system brings the ride to a stop. The entire experience generally lasts less than one minute.
With most drop towers, a
gondola carrying riders is lifted to the top of a large vertical structure, then released to free-fall down the tower. Magnetic brakes immediately slow the gondola as it approaches the bottom half of the tower. Some attractions have expanded on the design concept, with features such as rotating gondolas or several bounces before coming to rest.[citation needed] At
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, for example, Falcon's Fury takes riders to the top of a 335’ (102 m)-tall tower before an automated system slowly rotates the seats forward to face the ground, greatly enhancing the sensation of ‘falling’; the seats automatically return to their normal, forward-facing position just before the end of the ride.
Most drop towers require child riders to meet a minimum height; limits vary widely depending upon the nature of the tower, with a 9-metre (30 ft) tower for smaller children at least 95 centimetres (37 in) tall,[1] and a 37-metre (120 ft) tower for children at least 130 centimetres (51 in) tall.[2]
These rides also have weight restrictions. Not following the restrictions is what caused Tyre Sampson's death on March 24, 2022, at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida.[3]
Big Shot on the top of
The Strat reaching 329 metres (1,081 ft) was the highest situated drop tower ride in the world, with a drop of 49 metres (160 ft) to a base 281 metres (921 ft) above ground level
On August 22, 1999, 12-year-old Joshua Smurphat fell to his death on
Drop Zone: Stunt Tower (Drop Tower) at
Paramount's Great America (California's Great America) after slipping from the ride's restraints, which were still locked at the end of the ride.[4][5]
On June 21, 2007 (park operating as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom), a 13-year-old girl from
Louisville, Kentucky had both feet cut off above the ankle when one of the ride's cables snapped during operation.[6] Following the
incident, all Intamin towers were temporarily closed and the
Carowinds model was found to have stretched cables.[7]
On February 24, 2012, 14-year-old Gabriella Yukari Nichimura died in an accident at
Hopi Hari, Vinhedo, São Paulo State, Brazil. She fell from the drop tower ride "
La Tour Eiffel" suffering cranial trauma and died on the way to the hospital. Initial investigations suggested the possibility of mechanical failure in the restraint latch.[8][needs update]
On the evening of January 3, 2018, 8 persons (five females and three males aged 12 to 18, including Danica Villas) were injured suffering "cervical
spasms" after Fun Drop Tower Ride at the amusement park Circle of Fun in
Quezon Memorial Circle suddenly dropped.[9][10]
On the evening of September 5, 2021, 6-year-old Wongel Estifanos died on the Haunted Mine Drop ride after being separated from her seat and falling 110 ft (34 m) to her death. It has been determined that the girl was actually sitting on top of her seatbelt rather than the seatbelt being tight on her lap. A
forensic pathologist identified the cause of death as
blunt-force trauma. The official report by the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety blamed a lack of procedures and inadequate training of two ride operators to ensure that Estifanos was properly buckled in.[11][12] Before the accident, the ride had had four annual safety inspections per Colorado Amusement Rides and Devices Regulations (7 CCR 1101-12) and was certified to have corrected any issues.[12] Following the incident the park temporarily closed.[13][14][15] Colorado Senate Bill 03-253 allows parents to release their minor’s rights to sue for negligence.[16][17]
On the evening of March 24, 2022, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson from Missouri fell to his death from the world's tallest drop tower ride, the Orlando FreeFall drop tower at
ICON Park in Florida. The brand new attraction had been open for only three months at the time of the accident.[18] On April 18, 2022, it was discovered that the safety sensors of two seats were intentionally modified to generate a "go" signal for larger and therefore unsafe harness-to-seat gaps, presumably to accommodate larger riders, a condition that ultimately led to Tyre's death, since he slipped through that gap toward the end of the drop when the ride slowed down.[citation needed] This is only one major factor among others that may have caused the tragedy, including the fact that Tyre weighed 320 pounds (144 kg) and the ride manual stipulates a weight limit of 287 pounds (130 kg).[citation needed] On October 6, 2022, it was announced that the Orlando Free Fall tower would be dismantled.[19] The owner plans to have the demolition finished by the anniversary of the victim’s death.[20]
On September 5, 2022, a drop tower in India failed to slow down then crashed to ground, injuring 16.[21]
^
abAmusement Rides and Devices Program.
"ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPOR"(PDF). Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety.
Archived(PDF) from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
^Chlouber; Arnold; Entz; Johnson S.; Kester; McElhany; Taylor; White; Brophy; Crane; Garcia; Hefley; Miller; Rippy; Spence; Stengel; Weddig.
"SENATE BILL 03-253"(PDF). Colorado General Assembly.
Archived(PDF) from the original on December 15, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2021.