Kennywood's Aero 360 still closed after leaving riders stuck upside down
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (KDKA) - A ride at Kennywood remains closed after riders were dangling upside down until workers could bring the riders safely down to earth.
The Aero 360 was closed Tuesday as the park works to figure out why the ride stopped Monday. According to a Kennywood spokesperson, the ride was last inspected before the park opened that day.
It was like a nightmare come true. Some told KDKA's Jessica Guay that the incident was traumatizing. One witness said they remember hearing riders screaming for help.
"That's like my biggest fear, going on upside-down rides," said Alexa Brunner, a park-goer.
"I think that's really scary because just being stuck upside down for a couple minutes, it wouldn't even feel great," said Lyla Brunner, another park-goer.
Kennywood was packed on Tuesday, a day after the Aero 360 stopped, leaving riders upside down.
"I probably won't ride it ever," said Lyla Brunner.
"There's a lot of rides that don't go upside down. I like those ones and I'm just going to stick to those ones," said Alexa Brunner.
A park's spokesman said the Aero 360 will remain closed while maintenance workers continue their review and try to figure out what needs to be addressed.
At this point, they do not know what caused the malfunction.
"I hope it doesn't happen again," a park go-er said.
The spokesman said they inspect every ride every operating day and the rides must pass before they can open them.
"I still plan on coming to Kennywood because some of the rides, even if you do get stuck, it won't be as bad as that. And it's just fun," said Lyla Brunner.
Kennywood's general manager said in a statement on Monday, "maintenance staff responded, quickly brought the ride back to its designated rest position, and safely evacuated the riders."
It's not clear how long the ride was stopped. Some witnesses and riders said it was around 5 minutes, others said it was longer than that.
The general manager told KDKA the riders were evaluated by medical professionals and three of them visited the first aid center as a precaution.
