Michael Vartorella, Ohio’s chief inspector of amusement ride safety, said the Fire Ball was inspected three or four times before the fair opened. The Fire Ball accident was like a car crash, with riders thrown at least 20 to 30 feet in the air. The accident prompted fairs in California and Canada to shut down the Fire Ball ride.īarry Schaible, an inspector with a company hired by the California State Fair, told KCRA-TV in Sacramento, “We shut down the ride immediately, unloaded it and it’s closed right now.” Kasich noted the findings could help other fairs and amusement parks. Make no mistake about it, it’s a very, very sad night for all of us.” John Kasich, who planned to tour the fair Thursday, said after the accident: “Of course we want to get to the bottom of this. None has been involved in a serious malfunction before, the company said in an email to The Associated Press. Forty-three of the rides, also known as the Afterburner, are in use in the U.S. The ride’s Dutch manufacturer, KMG, said the one at the Ohio State Fair was built in 1998 in the Netherlands. It says it can swing passengers 40 feet (12 meters) above the ground, while spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute.Īmusements of America did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. Dramatic video was captured by an eyewitness that shows the ride swinging back and forth like a pendulum and spinning in the air when it crashes into something and part of the ride flies off. The Fire Ball ride swings 24 riders back and forth like a pendulum while they sit facing each other in four-seat carriages that also spin and are attached to the main arm.Īmusements of America, the company that provides rides to the Ohio State Fair, describes the Fire Ball as an “aggressive thrill ride.” On its website, it says the Fire Ball debuted in 2002 and is one of its most popular rides on the midway. Ohio Department of Agriculture records provided Thursday to The Associated Press show passing marks on inspections of about three dozen items including cracks, brakes, proper assembly and installation.
Records show that inspections were up to date and a state permit had just been issued for the ride.