Superman: Tower of Power (Kentucky Kingdom)

Ride


Watch the on-ride POV
Superman: Tower of Power
The entrance after the June 2007 accident
Kentucky Kingdom
Location Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Status Defunct
Operated October 13, 1995 to June 21, 2007
Statistics
Manufacturer Intamin
Product Giant Drop
Height 177 feet
HELP

Superman: Tower of Power was a Drop Tower built by Swiss manufacturer Intamin that was previously located at Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

History

When the ride opened in 1995, it was originally named Hellovator. In 2007, it was repainted and renamed Superman: Tower of Power.

On June 21, 2007, a 13-year-old girl had both feet severed by a cable while riding Superman: Tower of Power. During the ride, a malfunction caused the cable to break. Though she was able to remove the cable from her neck before the ride reached the top, it was still looped past her feet during the "drop" and shattered her left femur while cutting off both feet on the way down. The operator heard the cable snap and acknowledged unusual screaming as the car climbed, but failed to press the emergency stop button until after the ride had already dropped. The ride could not be stopped after this point.[1] Doctors were able to reattach her right foot successfully. However, her left leg had to be amputated below the knee, due to severe damage to her left foot. The ride was closed right after the accident and its permanent closure was announced on November 29, 2007. It was removed from the park during the 2008 off-season.

Seven years after the accident in 2014, a new drop tower named FearFall opened to the public.

References

  1. "KDA Final Report". Kentucky Department of Agriculture. http://www.courier-journal.com/assets/B2109690530.PDF. Retrieved 18 June 2011. 


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