Anyone know what made windseeker break today?

http://www.13abc.com/story/18685016/2012/06/02/cps-windseeker-leave...-over-hour

That had to be scary.

I don't really know what would cause that so I won't start throwing random ideas out there, but all I can say is that I wish that was me! Call me crazy, but I always want to get stuck on rides.

Flux capacitor malfunctioned.

I wanted to be stuck on them before too, but not windseeker haha

xtremecoasters said:
Flux capacitor malfunctioned.

1.21 gigawatts!

I went last Saturday and it broke the same way for an hour. I think that was the final straw yesterday and they decided to take it down indefinetly.

I seagull made a nest inside of Windseeker's tower during the off-season and it's eggs just hatched. The mother seagull was having a difficult time finding worms in the park so the baby birds saved themselves from starvation by eating the wiring because it looked like worms.

You can see in that video and also in a picture I have what appears to be a cable hanging from under the gondola. So it looks like something snapped.

I'm glad I wasn't on there when that happened. I would have not been happy.(I hate heights, when I'm not in control of the situation.) I would have been freaking out and possibly crying. I've gotten 'stuck' on a ride before, and didn't mind it too much.(Two years ago, I was on the Mine Ride with my sister and her friend and we happened to get stuck on the second lift hill for a few minutes.) That wasn't too bad because we were only stuck for about ten minutes.

If I was stuck 150 feet in the air on Windseeker, I would have panicked and been screaming for them to get me off the thing.

^^That looks like the drag chain for the electrical wiring. However, it does look like it's not in the metal trough guide thingy so that could be something related.

Or the computer just thought something was wrong and wouldn't let them do anything. Wouldn't be the first time that happened on a computer controlled ride.

Always a possibility.

I don't think the computer is at fault this time. :)

http://screamscape.com/html/cp_-_waveswinger_1.htm
http://screamscape.com/html/cp_-_waveswinger_0.htm

And here's what one of the people who got stuck had to say.

“I was one of the unfortunate guests to be stuck on the Windseeker. We were stuck for over 2hrs. After the ride did its normal spin at the top, a big gust of wind came through and pulled the wires that are attached to the tower away. So when the ride started to descend. the cable got stuck inbetween the spin part and began to be torn apart. Much of the covering was torn off and we watched much plastic pieces falling off. We were stuck for 2hrs at about 200ft in the air.”

Now I'm curious if they either close the ride for any kind of high winds or if they give the trough a smaller opening (if that's even possible).

Yup, it was the cable tray. The picture I have was taken from the Ballroom but even from that distance I could tell it was either that or a support cable.

Just curious.. If that cable were to break, could the whole structure that holds the swings came crashing down?

If a cable snapped the ride would be fine. I can't remember how many cables support the gondola but it would take a few of them snapping before it came crashing down.

Plus what you're seeing there are the electrical cables, not the cables that actually hold the carriage.

xtremecoasters said:
Flux capacitor malfunctioned.

Maybe they sold them a shoddy bomb casing filled with used pinball machine parts!

99er said:
If a cable snapped the ride would be fine. I can't remember how many cables support the gondola but it would take a few of them snapping before it came crashing down.

Windseeker would not come crashing down under any circumstances. The gondola has overspeed brakes on it just like an elevator. If the vertical speed becomes too fast, such as if all of the cables would break, the safety brakes on the gondola would grab the track and bring the gondola to a stop.

Thank you Pete, that was my biggest fear of riding Windseeker, If it has that safety on it, I will feel a lot better riding it.

The second fear is one single pin holding each arm on, I wish they would add a safety chain or cable from the arm to the upper so when one pin does come out, break or whatever, something keeps the arm from crashing to the ground.