Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29
Six Flags Permanently Closes 76-MPH X2 Roller Coaster Amid Wrongful-Death Lawsuits
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29

Six Flags Permanently Closes 76-MPH X2 Roller Coaster Amid Wrongful-Death Lawsuits

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29

Summary

  • Six Flags Magic Mountain said Tuesday it is retiring X2, ending the California coaster’s run after it sat closed since July.
  • At least two wrongful-death suits and a wave of complaints accused Six Flags and car builder S&S Worldwide of failing to warn riders about the ride’s risks.
  • X2 reached 200 feet, hit 76 mph and exposed riders to up to four times gravity, with rotating seats that spun as much as 360 degrees through inversions and twists.
  • More than 16 million people rode the attraction after its 2008 redesign and renaming from X, but lawsuits had long linked it to cerebral hemorrhages and other traumatic brain injuries.

Insights

Why did Six Flags retire X2 after 16 million riders if it kept passing safety tests?
Did X2’s rotating-seat design push thrill engineering beyond what riders’ brains could safely تحمل?