Incident on The Smiler 02/06/2015

[James]

We're unlikely to hear anything from the manufacturer.

Just like when a plane crashes you wouldn't hear anything from Boeing or Airbus, you wouldn't hear from Gerstlauer in this case. They don't really have any need to make any statements to the public. Although I'm sure they're working with Towers and the investigation team in some way IF this is believed to be a failure on what they've provided Towers.

 

[ASturge21]

Not yet, and possibly not.

If the cause comes out as blocking system failure that has to be gerst's fault and should then make a statement.

 

[Johno]

Think it's a bit off to be asking for something as pass holders to be honest. People who had pre-booked tickets were inconvenienced because they were intending to go that day. Pass holders can go anytime throughout he entire year. THIS is where compensation culture comes in and is abusing a situation where 16 people were involved in a horrific accident. You weren't

I think Merlin are actually missing a trick here.

MAP/ATAP owners tend to be some of the most loyal fans of AT (speaking as someone who doesn't have a pass).

The best thing for them to do in this situation would be giving free 'bring a friend to AT' tickets to MAP members. One per MAP member who comes through the gate - ie. you can only get it once.

 

[ASturge21]

We're unlikely to hear anything from the manufacturer.

Just like when a plane crashes you wouldn't hear anything from Boeing or Airbus, you wouldn't hear from Gerstlauer in this case. They don't really have any need to make any statements to the public. Although I'm sure they're working with Towers and the investigation team in some way IF this is believed to be a failure on what they've provided Towers.

Based on the stalls there is already a failure in what they have provided to towers.

 

[James]

Based on the stalls there is already a failure in what they have provided to towers.

Well yeah but the stalling train was not the cause of the crash as such, just a part of a chain of events.

I'm sure either way they're involved in the investigation in some capacity.

 

[ASturge21]

Well yeah but the stalling train was not the cause of the crash as such, just a part of a chain of events.

I'm sure either way they're involved in the investigation in some capacity.

Not just the crash but the previous stalling incidents.

 

[jon81uk]

Ive sent merlin an email about my premium pass, im not happy about about no ERT , and all the closures.

Hope they add a week or two on it.

I only tend to use it at Alton Towers, i understand the seriousness of it all, but ive spent good money on it.

I may get called insensitive on here, but ive seen pictures of people on here queueing at guest services when a ride or two has been shut before.

Why didn't you complain while in the park? More likely to get a solution in person.

 

[Balb0wa]

Why didn't you complain while in the park? More likely to get a solution in person.

id made plans a week before to go on the Wednesday with someone else who wasn't a pass holder, the day after the accident. It was a spanner in the works.

They responded, seems they don't care about pass holders. just a standard response, i wont bother renewing it next year, im only a month into this one.

Thank you for contacting the Merlin Annual Pass team.

Following the incident on The Smiler our priority was investigating the cause and ensuring that all our rides are operating entirely safely.

Our number one priority is always the safety of our guests and staff, and whilst we are confident that these rides are absolutely safe, we want to take this time to review our procedures and reinforce their safe operation. We understand that this may have caused disappointment and to keep our guests informed we have advertised the closed areas on our website and have also made this information available at the Hotel reception and Theme Park entrance through team members and information boards.

We can confirm that the area X Sector is closed to allow access for the HSE and to facilitate the investigation and we hope to be able to open the other rides soon. The Smiler however will remain closed until further notice.

Thank you once again for your feedback and we look forward to welcoming you back to our attractions again soon,

 

[Burbs]

I won't complain if we don't get "compensation" (a word I'm using very lightly) for the reasons aforementioned. However if we do end up receiving fastracks/free bring-a-friend tickets etc then I would happily accept it.

 

[Balb0wa]

If you had a hotel/transport booked then that's different and I'm sure they would come to an agreement with you if you were inconvenienced. But if it's just to say 'I could've been going so I want something free' then it's out of order in my view

You don't pay for ERT. You pay the AP price for unlimited entry to the parks for the whole year. ERT is a bonus, and entirely within their control to stop ERT operations if deemed necessary.

Its not out of order at all, Ive paid for a product, ERT is part of it, i accept the smiler being closed, but the others no.

They don't care about pass holders any more.

 

[MichelinMan]

Just looking through wikapedia (not like I do this often ) and found this, don't remember but then again the ride closed almost 10 years before I was born.
Alton Mouse

• In its last season of operation a car stalled on the second big drop. The ride shut down as designed, with other cars held at various blocks before and after the stalled car. The ride operator restarted the ride thinking that the stalled car (which had valleyed) would also start and continue its journey. A second car collided with it.The report in to the incident found that the member of staff had inadequate training. She also had access to keys that allowed her to override the block system, a procedure that should only authorised by a more qualified person, such as maintenance. Alton Towers were fined.

Does this mean that the health and safety records will show 2 similar accidents and will be worse for fines.

• 
  Just a thought, but could this video of them testing the ride possibly be part of the health and safety tests to see how slow the trains must be travelling for it to stall and possibly add sensors to detect how fast the trains are traveling and make the ride e-stop.

Hope this isn't actual safety precautions put in place to stop a high impact crash, meaning that the ride is permanently at the speed of 10 mph

No - because Merlin wasn't in charge at the time of that accident previous accident at AT. Only previous offences by Merlin will be taken into account in any fines. However, the accident at Chessington where they were fined recently would be taken into account.

 

[phildenholm]

Its not out of order at all, Ive paid for a product, ERT is part of it, i accept the smiler being closed, but the others no.

They don't care about pass holders any more.

Have a word on FB or twitter, I see where you are coming from, i'd be annoyed if people with "free" sun tickets were getting a free return ticket and I was offered nothing, as someone said a coffee and a donut would do

 

[bluesonichd]

Have a word on FB or twitter, I see where you are coming from, i'd be annoyed if people with "free" sun tickets were getting a free return ticket and I was offered nothing, as someone said a coffee and a donut would do

Hey! HEY! they are my donuts... Mine!

 

[jon81uk]

id made plans a week before to go on the Wednesday with someone else who wasn't a pass holder, the day after the accident. It was a spanner in the works.

They responded, seems they don't care about pass holders. just a standard response, i wont bother renewing it next year, im only a month into this one.

Thank you for contacting the Merlin Annual Pass team.

Following the incident on The Smiler our priority was investigating the cause and ensuring that all our rides are operating entirely safely.

Our number one priority is always the safety of our guests and staff, and whilst we are confident that these rides are absolutely safe, we want to take this time to review our procedures and reinforce their safe operation. We understand that this may have caused disappointment and to keep our guests informed we have advertised the closed areas on our website and have also made this information available at the Hotel reception and Theme Park entrance through team members and information boards.

We can confirm that the area X Sector is closed to allow access for the HSE and to facilitate the investigation and we hope to be able to open the other rides soon. The Smiler however will remain closed until further notice.

Thank you once again for your feedback and we look forward to welcoming you back to our attractions again soon,

Sorry I thought you'd gone to the park today/yesterday and were complaining that you didn't get a free return ticket as you are a pass holder, that's why I suggested you should have complained in person.

If you are actually complaining about last week, then I'm sorry I don't see why. The park closed following a serious accident and that as the right thing to do. While the park was closed pre-booked ticket holders had the option to visit another park instead and if you are a MAP holder then you could have also gone to another park. I can't see why you were surprised the park was closed the day after the accident! I'm sorry you ruined your plans for a Wednesday but for those four people on the front row of that car, it ruined their plans for a lot longer.

 

[BigT]

Not just the crash but the previous stalling incidents.

It hasn't stalled for 2 years since they made changes to the wheels I believe.
Guertlauser won't issue a statement as it's unlikely there fault.
By all accounts the ride detected a stall and stopped, someone has obviously reset the ride without checking or made a balls up.
As with any piece of hardware installation an engineer can override the system one way or another or they arn't an engineer!
The ride only does what it is told to do by human input, all sensors and the like are backed up to fail safe.

 

[BarryZola]

The brother of Leah Washington who unfortunately had her leg amputated above the knee will be 'exclusively' (apparently) on BBC Radio WM this morning before 9am if anyone is interested. The link to the radio online is here where you should be able to listen live: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wm

Not sure exactly what time it will be on.

Edit - If you're in the West Midlands and listening on the radio on the way to work etc it's 95.6FM. It may give a little insight into how it has affected the family and maybe how Merlin has dealt with them so far. Who knows? Hopefully you'll be able to 'Listen again' online on the website, or some wizard will be able to record it and upload it later on.

 

[Dar]

Was this stall, and previous ones, a result of the trims on the air hill before the batwing?

 

[Tarquin]

The brother of Leah Washington who unfortunately had her leg amputated above the knee will be 'exclusively' (apparently) on BBC Radio WM this morning before 9am if anyone is interested. The link to the radio online is here where you should be able to listen live: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wm

Not sure exactly what time it will be on.

Edit - If you're in the West Midlands and listening on the radio on the way to work etc it's 95.6FM. It may give a little insight into how it has affected the family and maybe how Merlin has dealt with them so far. Who knows? Hopefully you'll be able to 'Listen again' online on the website, or some wizard will be able to record it and upload it later on.

This is a summary news article from the BBC rather than the audio:

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-33075059

Sounds like she's doing really well after initially being ventilated on the intensive care unit. Makes me nervous to hear about what's happening to the other passengers though - I feel things could potentially get worse before they get better.

 

[jon81uk]

Was this stall, and previous ones, a result of the trims on the air hill before the batwing?

Probably not, the main cause would have been the unladen car, possibly the wind and a whole load of other factors.

 

[Benzin]

This is a summary news article from the BBC rather than the audio:

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-33075059

Sounds like she's doing really well after initially being ventilated on the intensive care unit. Makes me nervous to hear about what's happening to the other passengers though - I feel things could potentially get worse before they get better.

I believe the other 3 front row passengers have all since been released from hospital with various injuries, Leah had the most serious one (comparatively)...

A 5th person was admitted for internal injuries since the incident, because they weren't admitted on the day, presumably because they didn't realise at the time or just wanted to leave...