Fair Coaster Crash Blamed on Operator

The state inspectors investigating the cause of a roller coaster crash at the Orange County fair have determined that a bell that normally rings to warn the brakeman of a train’s approach was not functioning but concluded that the ultimate cause of the accident was operator error, state officials said Friday.

Investigators found nothing wrong with the Cyclone roller coaster’s brake system, and the warning bell has since been fixed, said James Meyer, senior safety engineer with the California Department of Industrial Relations.

Eight people were injured Monday night when a two-car train full of passengers crashed into an empty train, which in turn hit a train that was being loaded with passengers, officials and witnesses said. They suffered bruised necks, backs, chests and stomachs.

The most seriously injured passenger, Chris Pitts, 21, of Huntington Beach was released Wednesday from Huntington Beach Medical Center after being treated for a bruised spine and other injuries. Three other passengers were treated at the hospital and released Monday night, and four passengers only required treatment by first aid workers at the fair Monday night.

The state plans to make safety recommendations to B & B Amusements, the company that owns and operates the ride, Meyer said. He could not elaborate on what those recommendations would be.

The investigators concluded that a sufficient number of people were operating the ride at the time of the accident. Meyer would not comment on why the B & B employee failed to engage the brakes.

The operator told state investigators Wednesday he was trying to do another aspect of his job at the time he should have been concentrating on engaging the brakes, according to an interview witnessed by The Times.

Operators closed the ride after the accident and reopened it late Tuesday afternoon after a safety consultant hired by the fair found nothing mechanically wrong with the ride.