What Really Happened Fury 325 at Carowinds June 30th 2023?

On June 30th 2023 Fury 325 at Carowinds was operating normally. A guest was waiting outside the park to pickup their kids when they noticed something strange, what appeared to be a crack in one of the supports for the coaster. They took a short video and alerted park personnel. Fury 325 was shut down for investigation.
Accident Reports: drive.google.com/drive/folder...
Videos used:
• Fury 325 roller coaste...
• Fury 325 Official On-R...
• Fury 325 Off-Ride (4K)...
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Lost in Agadir - Ava Low
Cold War Games - Gabriel Lewis
Rise of the Velcro - Gabriel Lewis
Family Fun Fitness - Lupus Nocte

[@robcoasters]

This incident actually gave me a lot more respect towards B&M as the coaster is so well engineered that it was able to function even with a completely broken support. Well I'm obviously not sure how long it would have lasted like that, but the fact that there were zero injuries is crazy to me.

[@Fantasy_Engineer]

Roller Coaster Engineering: the wonders of safety and reliability.

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

Final Destination't

[@gamingandcraftswithlogan8714]

@@TS_Mind_SweptI needed this comment after the day I’ve had

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

@@gamingandcraftswithlogan8714 💛

[@linux_doggo]

They're expensive but it becomes very quickly apparent why

[@vectorwolf]

I'd say it wasn't caught immediately just because the springiness of the supports would pull the crack closed as soon as there wasn't any force being applied. It'd be damn hard to spot a hairline crack from 20 or 30 feet away and squinting into the sky.

[@sadiporter2966]

binoculars exist.

[@ANTH0NY.VII.]

​@@sadiporter2966dawg....riders found it once it was completely broken, I saw these vids on tik tok

[@sadiporter2966]

@@ANTH0NY.VII. i know.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

Nah they should've caught the crack well before it fractured the support. Bad maintenance for sure.

[@vectorwolf]

Did you guys not listen to the video? This kind of damage is common and normal for coasters of this type, and the structural tension in the support was pulling the crack shut, thus making it difficult to see until it finally snapped completely.

[@strongarm_11]

I remember my friends found out about this and were shocked and I kept trying to tell them nobody was affected by this. I’m gonna show them this video and now they’ll understand.

[@macaylacayton2915]

not noticing a crack doesn't mean they weren't looking for the crack

[@natalieardner5509]

This whole incident gave me extreme respect for all involved; Cedar Fair, Bolliger & Mabillard, all investigative entities. They all did a fantastic job and I STILL can't believe how fast they were able to fabricate a more suitable replacement and get it installed/tested.

[@thewintermedic2246]

I still love the joke that this happened because Dollywood gave all the Coastercon attendees free cinnamon bread right before we went to Carowinds. (Coastercon was the week before the accident)

[@wendyjaa]

Oh my gosh that's hilarious 😂

[@AmazingRoni]

i would killllll for some delicious cinnamon bread

[@johngosbee5574]

Close calls are MORE important to treat like an actual adverse event, than an actual event. There are more of them, and folks are more inclined to speak up, less emotion, less lawsuits. Hundreds of safety experts from many venues (aviation, medicine) will tell you this. Some questions I would further ask if analyzing this close call: 1) What was the official track inspection procedure? What usually happens? What happened the days leading up to crack visible from ground? 2) How are employees who inspect trained? How often? What is the validation that training is effective and that skills to do so remain between training? 3) Do the operators have regular training in aspects of high reliability organizations? For example, there should be dozens of close calls reported each month and those bringing the "bad news" should be rewarded/supported 4) If there were a few spots that now can be easier to seen by a drone, are there other areas that need something besides direct visual check by human eye? Fiber optic cameras?

[@joey1091]

Okay but slay this comment wish I could double like

[@Shenorai]

Honestly? That is fantastic to hear of drones being used in future inspections like this.

[@CoasterCollege]

Definitely an innovative use for them!

[@mikaross4671]

Love your videos! They have made me feel safer on coasters over the last 2 years. I'm glad that the beam was replaced and no one was hurt because of this.

[@f1shgmd]

I am glad someone finally explained this in detail

[@SeerCynea]

ngl its nice to hear about a ride problem that didnt end with a hospital trip

[@ErisIsAnAbomination]

This just goes to show how rare a fatal accident is. Especially on modern coasters and rides, there are so many failsafes that can keep problems from going catastrophically wrong, and knowing that really helps my anxiety around riding coasters.

[@therealsarlic4702]

To add more detail to the type of metal and how that contributed to the crack formation, 1015 is a plain carbon steel containing a maximum of 1% Manganese and 0.15% carbon. This is classified as low carbon steel and is incapable of being hardened. The reason the weld location is harder is because the type of welding wire used is a harder metal. It doesn’t make the 1015 harder it just adds a harder metal to the joint. The reason the crack started is likely due to the design of the support beam itself. As the cart rounds the corner, the positive g’s push outwardly on the main support beam putting the weld joint and the surrounding softer steel under a shear load. Steel is on average 25% weaker in shear. That alone shouldn’t matter because the safety factor should me much higher than 25%, so I’d like to know what kind of testing was done to the weld joint. If the weld wasn’t water tight, moisture could have gotten inside and corroded and weakened the surrounding steel making it more susceptible to cracking.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

Yeah the video doesn't specify if it was a faulty weld or a faulty design. The fact that they found 4 other cracks on the ride makes me think it's the design. In which case, B&M seriously needs to change their design. Despite what the narrator says, cracks on roller coasters are NOT common. They usually show up on older arrow coasters from time to time but a modern B&M should not have any fatigue fractures.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

@@MidwestRainstorms Yeah but most of the info was wrong so I don't trust it.

[@siycles]

@@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037 Cracks happen on all sorts of rides, thats why you see all sorts of b&ms being reinforced, rewelded, etc. Behemoth at wonderland had rewelding this off season its normal.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

@@siycles That shouldn't be normal. If it is that's a shocking oversight by B&M to not even conduct a fatigue analysis on the supports.

[@jimmypatton4982]

@@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037car breaking down shouldn’t be normal either. Though everything has a life span and maintenance and fixing as problems arise is the only way we don’t still live in caves.

[@bassjasinski]

Great explanation of the cause. Since B&M uses sophisticated modeling software for design, wonder if they provide a list of high stress areas that should be inspected with more diligence.

[@jimmypatton4982]

Ironically it might reduce effectiveness on non-prioritized to visually inspect areas. I do love the drone implementation though. Can make hard to inspect areas easily inspected. (Mainly due to human bias that we don’t have to look too hard elsewhere because this never finds anything except the places detailed in the report)

[@gnnascarfan2410]

Can we give a shoutout to the bystander in a car that saw something wasn’t right and reported it!

[@oddcirumstances]

I worked for Carowinds ~14 years ago as an actor. It was the best job I could've asked for, and I made a lot of friends that I am still friends with today.

[@musickid43]

Good job on the park personnel for listening to the information and doing something and not dismissing it.

[@KilerkRazorclaw]

I've ridden this coaster and it remains my favorite. I got the rare opportunity to ride it in the rain. The memory of going up that first hill, rain pouring all around and then tipping over the top, the rain stops...then goes up. That was a sight that will never leave my mind.

[@lucashoffses9019]

One time I rode the Intimidator (now Thunder Striker) and it started raining about halfway through the ride. We almost went again in the pouring rain but unfortunately they announced last minute that the ride was shut down.

[@nyamichan360]

I heard about Fury closing and wasn’t sure if someone got injured or something broke. Now being informed of what really happened, I’m pleased! Knowing that the closest amusement park to me is one of the safest is a great thing to hear 🥰

[@cupcake5000]

I live in NC and I remember this! I've been going to Carowinds for several years now. We actually went to the park after the crack was discovered and before it was fixed and I got a picture of it lol. I have ridden Fury since it was fixed and didn't die so I guess that's a good sign

[@coasterfair2602]

Thanks for making this video because I was confused when I heard but you did a good job explaining this (this is my home park)

[@TheDimensionDweller]

I love these videos! It's great getting insight into how roller coasters are inspected and maintained.

[@paulsmith410]

This particular incident really surprised me, not that the steel cracked, but that it was allowed to progress so far before it was discovered. Glad the situation was repairable, and the coaster could resume operations.

[@mcadr4925]

Was there the day before it closed and the day after it opened, rode both times cant pass up fury

[@scrunt8223]

Drone inspections!! That’s genius!!!

[@double0ninjapirate]

Thanks for covering! I love Fury and this incident was so interesting to me

[@zqxzqxzqx1]

Drone inspections...A brilliant idea!

[@mmb811]

Great review from a clear Engineering prospective, without unnecessary emotional clouding. Thanks

[@lindsaycarr4354]

Great and thorough, as always. Thanks

[@patricktho6546]

4:20 if it is missed that many times, it has to be a systematical error, like something being in the way from one direction or people thinking they have checked that area already

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

Or more likely, the maintenance wasn't doing their track walk as often as they should've.

[@patricktho6546]

@@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037 Then it would have been discovered on like the 3rd day or something. If there is something systematic you can do the test as many times you want (as is with a daily test like the trackwalk), you can just always look somewhere else and miss the spot bc of a reason. If it just wasn't daily, but like once every 2 days, then it would have been discovered (like the other bits of damage), just not the first time.

[@keiyakins]

How good are you at spotting individual hairs thirty feet in the sky?

[@patricktho6546]

@@keiyakins with a trackwalk you are on the track, so roughly 1 to 2 m away. Additionally we aren't talking about a thin hair, but a 1 by 10+ cm different coloured thing... It isn't that hard, if you look from the right position. And therefore it isn't a random mistake, that just would have been found a few trackwalks later, but a systematic one, which makes how they did the trackwalks ineffective i spotting those things. This is the expected size of stuff you should find when doing the daily trackwalk.

[@LadyRed_]

Im so glad we got a good ending to one of these videos. I do have an added not that youre one of my inspirations for my chanel and i cant wait to see more videos from you this season!

[@CoasterCollege]

Best of luck!

[@OuTSMOKE]

The fact that they missed this is one thing... but then afterwards found 6 more cracks that needed to be fixed tells us their inspection guys need to be fired.

[@The_hot_blue_fire_guy]

This reminds me of how in many airplane accidents the is usually some sort of mishandling or cut corners during maintenance and repairs. This is a great example of why it’s important to keep things maintained and do so properly. If that crack hadn’t been noticed it could have eventually resulted in total structural failure. It’s a reminder that any system, rollercoaster or airplane, it’s very important that maintenance and repair is done correctly and effectively otherwise things could go very very wrong.

[@mlibbyp]

I was waiting to see you do a video on this!

[@inlinechris]

So the day it shut down was my first visit to Carowinds ever. I had just bought season passes for sole reason of riding fury a lot over the summer lol. Rode it 3 times that day and just hours later it shut down. At least I got the elusive cracked fury credit

[@knightloveslesbians]

i was a ride op at carowinds during this and had to do sooo much explaining to anyone who knew me about what caused this accident 😭 i would insist it was a sign of redundancy working as intended and used your short from the time to try to help but some people would still not listen. the most interesting thing about it to me was the distribution of workers, my area ended up having to certify some fury ops so they could still have a job while it was down

[@Princess_of_cute]

have never been that early, good job on the video dude!

[@strongarm_11]

Same here!

[@IsleofPigsStudios]

To quote the Thomas Narrators “Luckily, No one was hurt”. Imagine if the crack kept going unchecked

[@strongarm_11]

When the narrator say nobody was hurt: 😮‍💨

[@user-pl5ds8iz6q]

Nothing. The support had fully severed yet the track could still support the fully loaded cycling trains. It couldn't break anymore than it did. This thing is over engineered so it's not really an issue safety wise

[@bocahdongo7769]

It's B&M rollercoaster Won't be surprise if this thing can withstand nuclear blast

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

​@@user-pl5ds8iz6qIt was DEFINITELY an issue safety wise. It may have been able to cycle for a few days at best with the support fully cracked, but the bolts that hold the track together are not meant to take the shear stress that the train applies to the support. If this went unnoticed for a few more hours, we could be talking about 32 deaths rn. A lot of enthusiasts try to downplay this event but it's a huge wiff by both B&M and Carowinds, 1. For allowing a support with a faulty weld to get past quality control, and 2. For not noticing the crack earlier.

[@masta6726]

​@@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037Not true. The coaster would be able to support itself just with the other supports alone.

[@trevgauntletneu_gaming]

Good, this is how preventative cases should be handled. Not make bs TikTok videos and fabricate footage.

[@marklundeberg7006]

The drone inspection thing sounds cool. They can fly a drone on a consistent preset route every day, and if cracks do develop then they will have a detailed log of the evolution of the crack.

[@Mike-gv8zh]

As always great video

[@bigmacndcheese3840]

One of my favorite coasters

[@SmokeyGray-jr7dp]

yesssss i’ve been waiting for this one

[@Palmtop_User]

Dude i basically just found your channel, binged most your stuff, and was left wondering about specifically the clip shown here as i had seen it prior with literally no context

[@majornugzzz5424]

Im glad im watching a video here about this particular coaster, as opposed to one on the Disasterthon channel. Love that channel and the respect that man gives the victims of his topics, but.. To learn something here and not over the unfortunate death of a coaster enthusiast or just a normal person riding it.. ❤ Good stuff!

[@colesIaw]

bro told me about this today WHILE WE WERE ON THE RIDE 😭

[@crazybird199]

One of the few where the coaster continued to operate perfectly normally before and after the incident. At least in your videos, anyway. These kinds of incidents where a ride is shut down despite operating normally are surely very common.

[@wolftamer8318]

I saw that there was an incident regarding Thunderation (one of my favorite mild coasters) at Silver Dollar City that happened a couple years ago. Maybe we’ll get one on that soon. I’m curious to see how that turned out. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@kso808]

Very interesting animation of how the crack formed!

[@Tadpole_Plyrr2]

I love this coaster, it was my brothers first coaster when he got on it with me

[@ZPierce767676]

I think it would be interesting to hear you discuss Steel Curtain and it’s troubles

[@andrewleonard3623]

Wish you covered more about the design of the new column and what’s different about it so it will not crack in the future

[@princessalyana3114]

Sadly, if i showed my coworker this he wouldn't want to go on a ride. He is deathly scared of them because of it failing and him getting stuck on it. Guess there are some people that are too scared.

[@adrianyates4434]

never thought I would see a coaster I've actually been on appear on this channel!

[@Daniel_Coasters]

Thanks for this video. Wanted to know the reason why it happened.

[@Kp-cm5pl]

I rode the ride a day before this happened 😅 we didn't notice anything but I just felt like something was wrong and it wasn't until the next morning after I got home and saw the news on it.

[@andrewtaylor940]

The underlying cause would appear to be the forces being applied on and around the joint at the top of the support, were being applied at an angle where the cross bracing was not actually providing additional support. In fact that diagonal support is providing the most strength about a meter below, and perpendicular to the main forces being applied to that short vertical stub at the top. Ideally that support should have been redesigned so the diagonal beam is outboard of the curve, not in board, and it connects higher on the vertical support, so that horizontal force from the train is being transmitted to the cross brace. And not simply pounding on that short vertical stub like a slow steady jackhammer.

[@jfana2768]

if we apply statics their was an over abuse of shear stress perpendicular to the normal force of the train.

[@ballbag]

Interestingly other B&Ms have been seen with new bracing welded on. Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park is one of them.

[@HectorRodriguez-hq7cf]

another great video gp to enthuseist

[@strongarm_11]

Only OGs get that reference.

[@Snickerdoodle06]

Sigh... This happened one month before my already planned trip to Carowinds... still had a great time thougj

[@joshuacortez9519]

Any chance we’ll get a What Really Happened covering Xcelerator at Knott’s Berry Farm? Always been intrigued by the cable snap because I visit the park frequently.

[@CoasterCollege]

If an accident report exists sure.

[@stokeswait1984]

Me and my girlfriend rode that ride last year on June 25th for my birthday I bet that crack was still there I'm like👀👀

[@craigross2949]

Saying it could have continued running for several days before any serious damage happened but how long has the crack been there

[@Blooest]

Am I crazy? Why not place the lateral support on the outside of the curve so it actually provides lateral support against the forces the train exerts?

[@JMoney615]

That’s scary, hard to believe it could’ve kept operating safely

[@mirandastump8098]

I rode fury for so long and didn’t realize that there could have been cracks in any beams 😅😅😅

[@SamAndFam311]

So professionals couldn't see that but a random park guest saw it 🤔

[@CoasterCollege]

Once it became a break

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

​@@CoasterCollegeThere are pictures of the crack from weeks before the incident. If they didn't notice something that big, they clearly weren't doing the proper checks.

[@CoasterCollege]

@@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037 only from when loaded trains were passing over.

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

@@CoasterCollege they still should've noticed it. I really don't understand why y'all are so focused on defending the park when they fucked up bad

[@SamAndFam311]

@@CoasterCollege places in coasters that constantly take a sharp punch in a turn, should always be triple checked. They overlooked that big time. That would have been caught before it got like that if it was actually inspected properly. I weld for a living and know where to check to make damn sure the spots that take a beating are perfect before letting it leave my section. Seems to me that they just were being lazy, and that's happening way more often lately.

[@joen8529]

Crack or not… That’s the best coaster I’ve ever been on, by far.

[@CoasterCollege]

It's a great ride!

[@Adamsbathw4ter]

Will you do one on the smiler?

[@keirstenduren7188]

I remember when this video was circulating and everyone was freaking out and even though I didn’t know at the time what exactly happened I knew based on my coaster knowledge there was likely no reason to panic and it was probably caught before anyone was in danger

[@scarcekoi]

I was there! I saw that!

[@ToliiRH]

I love the animations, great job

[@caydenwaltersmusic]

It doesn’t help that us ACE people had Coaster Con that June 22nd and 23rd. I joke and say that we broke that poor coaster from all those hours of ERT 😅

[@NickHollis21]

5:06 I thought that was a human flesh gash at first 💀

[@CoasterCollege]

It looks kinda like it ooc

[@jonthefuzz]

i see you commonly refer to parks as some of the safest in the country, which makes me wonder, what are some of the least safe parks in the country?

[@CoasterCollege]

Anything run by the slingshot group.

[@morphedkirby]

I will say this: this coaster slaps HARD

[@VelocicoasterFanboy]

Structure stress

[@flohawkins1]

So for all we know they could have found it themselves the next morning? There's going to be wear and tear on these coasters they have a limited shelf life

[@AKAalicecullen]

How tf did someone see that? Its so small you cant just see it from that far away

[@wickedsickfunkyfreshroller2037]

Idk, they looked at it? Lol

[@Lightning-rodenthusiast]

This wasn’t the only b&m giga that had a crack, apparently leviathan at Canadas wonderland also had a similar thing happen when leviathan had a piece of track missing on its drop when it levels out.

[@kohowch]

I was riding Fury the day before the crack was found, I was telling friends that the ride felt a little more wild before I found out what happened 💀

[@andrewwomble2722]

I rest easy in the fact that if I die on a roller coaster, it was God's will that I die that day. That fact takes all fear out of me when riding coasters.

[@-.Lemon_Zest.-]

A bird dissenigrated on our ride one time

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

Uhoh..I see a crack! ((Pulls up pants)) ..sorry..

[@HugeRMCFanBoY-bx3od]

Cringe but I love this comment still

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

@@HugeRMCFanBoY-bx3od it's from The Suite Life on Deck ;p

[@Dinnerbone_Enderman]

Im early af wth

[@regulusmasamuneryuku8657]

Thank you for the video Needed a positive break (ba bum tis) from Disney's DAS changes...

[@aMondayMorning]

3:23 So the crack was seen before the break? Did a guest spot it before the park? "The crack can be visible with a train passing over the track" What train? There is no train passing by in that picture.

[@me-myself-i787]

The train is off to the left of the picture, and wasn't caught in the frame.

[@CoasterCollege]

The crack was spotted in photos after the break had already occurred. It was only visible when trains passed over.

[@themasterspiece965]

5th view wow

[@user-fy5zf5kx8d]

very ungreggy

[@Maximizer37]

Humans have not learned from history, parks need to do better with insoections.

[@gofast3209]

Really? A support column cracked what more do we need to know?

[@CoasterCollege]

Why it happened

[@gofast3209]

@@CoasterCollege does it really matter.?? Of course you do. Views are your beard n butter.. but in reality it doesn't.

[@CoasterCollege]

@@gofast3209 it's good to know if you want to know more about the situation. It's not common knowledge and can help clear up misconceptions. I could care less about views, this isn't my job.

[@gofast3209]

@@CoasterCollege don't care bout views! 🤣🤣 now that's funny. Umm ya.. you do all this research n production for the fun of it..

[@CoasterCollege]

@@gofast3209 Yeah, I like to inform people and it's fun for me! I don't make nearly enough from this for it to be my job.

[@raygilbertflies]

Video sponsored by Corowinds.

[@justinknight1209]

Carowinds is my homepark but sadly due to many factors I havent visited as much as I shoukd ir as id like the way i did when i was a teenager but I recently have been trying to put things in motion to make a change of all that and after all these years of not sadly wanting to visit but not being able to all I finally visited right before my birthday in 2023 wich is Nov but i visited Carowinds for the 1st time since about 2011 in Oct 2023 and i got to take my autistic sister who for years now has tokd me she wanted me and her to go cause she had never been and i been promising yer for years that one day. I would take her for her first time so she can ride roller coasters and everything for the 1st time ever and so i was not only going because it had been many years and goibg for my bday in October 2023 but also to take my autistic younger sister for her first time and also my other sister and her husband were with us to celebrate their anniversary so it was alot of things packed into one visit but it was beyond so soecial and we are already making plans to go back to Carowinds very very soon and will go many many times this year and years to come. 💛❤️😍🎢🎡🎠📆🥳🎉💯