Drop tower explained

A drop tower is a type of amusement park ride incorporating a central tower structure with one or more gondolas attached. In a typical modern configuration, each gondola carrying riders is lifted to the top of the tower and then released to free fall back down to ground level. This produces a feeling of weightlessness followed by rapid deceleration. A magnetic braking system, or a variation that relies on pistons and air pressure, is used to safely bring the gondola to a complete stop. One of the earliest drop towers configured as an amusement ride was a parachute ride that debuted at the 1939 New York World's Fair, which was inspired by paratrooper training devices used by the Soviet Union in the 1920s.^[1]

Swiss manufacturer Intamin renewed interest decades later when it pioneered the modern drop tower with an early iteration released in the 1980s, which was later refined to use magnetic braking systems in the 1990s. This led to larger models, such as the Giant Drop and Gyro Drop. S&S Sansei modified the concept and released their own variation that employs pneumatics, which involves pistons, air pressure, and steel cables to control the speed of the gondola at all times. This variation can move the gondola at speeds faster than free fall and can alternatively be configured to accelerate gondolas in the opposite direction, moving at fast speeds up the tower as well as down.^[2]

Drop towers can vary in height and capacity, and some models are either mass-produced or custom. Newer features include gondolas that rotate along the vertical plane, tilting riders so they are facing the ground prior to the gondola's release. Falcon's Fury at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, for example, is a 335feet tower that rotates riders to face the ground, and then returns riders to an upright position as the gondola nears the end of the drop.

Drop tower designs

Mass-produced tower rides include:

• Double shot (air-powered blast up twice)
• Space shot (air-powered blast up)
• Super shot (drop down ride slowed by magnetic or air-power)
• Turbo drop (drop down ride slowed by air-power)

Tallest drop towers

bold	Denotes drop tower is or was once the tallest in the world
italic	Denotes drop tower is either no longer operating or removed

Rank	Name	Park	Location	Drop height	Structural height	Manufacturer	Record holder
---	Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom	Six Flags Great Adventure	Jackson Township, New Jersey, United States	415feet	456feet	Intamin	July 2014 – November 2024
---	Orlando FreeFall	Icon Park	Orlando, Florida, United States	120 metres (400 feet)	130 metres (430 feet)	Funtime	December 28, 2021 - March 24, 2022
1			Valencia, California, United States	400feet	415feet		July 2012 – July 2014. November 2024 - Current
2	The Giant Drop		Coomera, Queensland, Australia	377feet	390abbr=NaNabbr=		December 1998 – July 2012
3	Highlander	Hansa-Park	Sierksdorf, Germany	103m (338feet)	120m (390feet)	Funtime
4	La Venganza del Enigma		Madrid, Spain	328feet	377feet
-	Blue Fall	Sea Paradise	Yokohama, Japan	328feet	351feet	Intamin
5	Donjon de l'Extrême	Nigloland	Dolancourt, France	95m (312feet)	105m (344feet)	Funtime
6		Busch Gardens Tampa Bay	Tampa Bay, Florida, United States	310feet	335feet	Intamin
7	Voltrum	Bayern-Park	Reisbach, Germany	305abbr=NaNabbr=	358abbr=NaNabbr=	Funtime
8	Sky Screamer	Marineland of Canada	Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada	300abbr=NaNabbr=	450abbr=NaNabbr=	S&S – Sansei Technologies
9	AtmosFear	Liseberg		295abbr=NaNabbr=	381abbr=NaNabbr=	Intamin
10	Hurakan Condor	PortAventura Park	Salou, Spain	87m (285feet)	115m (377feet)	Intamin
11	UFO Gyro Drop	Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village	Yuchr Shiang, Nantou County, Taiwan	85 metres (280 ft)	110 metres (360 ft)	Intamin
12	Global Burj	Global Village	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	85m (279feet)
13	Drop Tower	Kings Dominion	Doswell, Virginia, United States	272feet	305feet	Intamin
14	Big Tower	Beto Carrero World	Penha, Santa Catarina, Brazil	264feet	328feet
15	Drop Tower	Kings Island	Mason, Ohio, United States	264feet	315feet	Intamin
	The Plunge	Kongeparken	Ålgård, Rogaland, Norway	264feet

Other notable examples

• Big Shot on the top of The Strat reaching 1081feet was the highest situated drop tower ride in the world, with a drop of 160feet to a base 921feet above ground level
• Space Probe located at Wonderland Sydney in Australia
• Apocalypse at Drayton Manor
• at Thorpe Park
• Ice Blast at Pleasure Beach Blackpool
• AtmosFEAR at Morey's Piers, Wildwood, New Jersey
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at multiple Disney parks worldwide.
• Acrophobia at Six Flags Over Georgia
• Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! at Disney California Adventure Park
• Giant Drop at Six Flags Great America

Injuries and accidents

• On August 22, 1999, 12-year-old Joshua Smurphat fell to his death on (Drop Tower) at Paramount's Great America (California's Great America) after slipping from the ride's restraints, which were still locked at the end of the ride.^{[3] [4]}
• On June 21, 2007 (park operating as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom), a 13-year-old girl from Louisville, Kentucky had both feet cut off above the ankle when one of the ride's cables snapped during operation.^[5] Following the incident, all Intamin towers were temporarily closed and the Carowinds model was found to have stretched cables.^[6]
• On February 24, 2012, 14-year-old Gabriella Yukari Nichimura died in an accident at Hopi Hari, Vinhedo, São Paulo State, Brazil. She fell from the drop tower ride "La Tour Eiffel" suffering cranial trauma and died on the way to the hospital. Initial investigations suggested the possibility of mechanical failure in the restraint latch.^[7]
• On the evening of January 3, 2018, 8 persons (five females and three males aged 12 to 18, including Danica Villas) were injured suffering "cervical spasms" after Fun Drop Tower Ride at the amusement park Circle of Fun in Quezon Memorial Circle suddenly dropped.^{[8] [9]}
• On the evening of September 5, 2021, 6-year-old Wongel Estifanos died on the Haunted Mine Drop ride after being separated from her seat and falling 110feet to her death. It has been determined that the girl was actually sitting on top of her seatbelt rather than the seatbelt being tight on her lap. A forensic pathologist identified the cause of death as blunt-force trauma. The official report by the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety blamed a lack of procedures and inadequate training of two ride operators to ensure that Estifanos was properly buckled in.^{[10] [11]} Before the accident, the ride had had four annual safety inspections per Colorado Amusement Rides and Devices Regulations (7 CCR 1101-12) and was certified to have corrected any issues. Following the incident the park temporarily closed.^{[12] [13] [14]} Colorado Senate Bill 03-253 allows parents to release their minor’s rights to sue for negligence.^{[15] [16]}
• On the evening of March 24, 2022, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson from Missouri fell to his death from the world's tallest drop tower ride, the Orlando FreeFall drop tower at ICON Park in Florida. The brand new attraction had been open for only three months at the time of the accident.^[17] On October 6, 2022, it was announced that the Orlando Free Fall tower would be dismantled.^[18] The owner plans to have the demolition finished by the anniversary of the victim’s death.^[19]
• On September 5, 2022, a drop tower in India failed to slow down then crashed to ground, injuring 16.^[20]

See also

• • Freefall

Notes and References

1. Web site: McCarter . Reid . YouTuber explains why riders don't splatter into human puddles on "drop tower" rides . . September 3, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240903233807/https://www.avclub.com/youtuber-explains-why-riders-dont-splatter-into-human-p-1844163554 . September 3, 2024 . June 25, 2020 . live.
2. June 21, 2020 . How Drop Tower Rides Work . Video . September 3, 2024 . YouTube . Art of Engineering.
3. News: Courier-Journal . June 23, 2007 . Thrill ride lawsuits . July 5, 2021.
4. Web site: Drop Zone death: no charges, no explanation. November 5, 1999. RideAccidents.com. July 5, 2021. bot: unknown. https://web.archive.org/web/20170420021130/http://www.rideaccidents.com/1999.html#nov5. April 20, 2017. mdy-all.
5. Web site: 2013-01-27 . Girl who had feet severed by amusement park ride, in stable condition… . https://archive.today/20130127021710/http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=258624 . dead . 2013-01-27 . 2022-05-04 . archive.ph.
6. Web site: Carowinds Thrill Ride Closed for Inspection. (Wire Report). The Herald Online. 8 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160208215504/http://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article12182144.html. 2016-02-08. June 22, 2007.
7. Web site: Adolescente More Após Acidente em Parque de Diversões no Interior de SP . 24 February 2012 . pt . Teenager Dies after an Amusement Park Accident in the Interior of SP . 2021-08-30 .
8. Web site: 8 youths hurt in carnival ride glitch. Emmanuel. Tupas. The Philippine Star. Jan 5, 2018 .
9. Web site: Teens injured in QC Circle of Fun ride. TV5 Network. January 3, 2018.
10. News: Candelaria . Esteban . September 24, 2021 . Colorado Springs girl killed on mine drop ride was not strapped in, report says . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20211001030327/https://gazette.com/news/local/colorado-springs-girl-killed-on-mine-drop-ride-was-not-strapped-in-report-says/article_32a4e594-1d62-11ec-97ce-ffbb033c1f3d.html . October 1, 2021 . October 10, 2021.
11. Web site: Amusement Rides and Devices Program . ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPOR . live . Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety . https://web.archive.org/web/20210924182533/https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/gazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/2b/d2b1c0bc-1d61-11ec-b690-0b6e62a850f5/614e13a0eb92a.pdf.pdf . September 24, 2021 . October 10, 2021.
12. Web site: Smith . Logan . Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Closes After Child Dies On Thrill Ride - CBSN Denver . denver.cbslocal.com . 6 September 2021 . en-US . 2021-09-06 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210908115354/https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/09/06/glenwood-caverns-adventure-park-closed-haunted-mine-drop-ride-death/ . 2021-09-08.
13. Web site: Morfitt . Karen . 'She Reminds Me Tomorrow Isn't Promised': Family Friend Remembers Wongel Estifanos, 6-Year-Old Who Died On Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park Ride . September 10, 2021 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210922212511/https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/09/10/wongel-estifanos-glenwood-caverns-adventure-park-ride-colorado-springs/ . September 22, 2021.
14. Web site: Glenwood Caverns' Haunted Mine Drop passed regulations inspection less than three months before death of 6-year-old . Rich . Allen . September 7, 2021 . www.postindependent.com . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210912024340/https://www.postindependent.com/news/glenwood-caverns-haunted-mine-drop-passed-regulations-inspection-less-than-three-months-before-death-of-6-year-old/ . September 12, 2021.
15. Web site: In Colorado, waiver law limits legal options for amusement park riders . September 11, 2021 . Ray K. Erku . www.postindependent.com . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210912024336/https://www.postindependent.com/news/in-colorado-waiver-law-limits-legal-options-for-amusement-park-riders/ . September 12, 2021.
16. Web site: Chlouber . Arnold . Entz . Johnson S. . Kester . McElhany . Taylor . White . Brophy . Crane . Garcia . Hefley . Miller . Rippy . Spence . Stengel . Weddig . SENATE BILL 03-253 . live . Colorado General Assembly . https://web.archive.org/web/20041215163305/http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/inetcbill.nsf/fsbillcont/88CF96042B7D5F3587256CC200794549?Open&file=253_enr.pdf . December 15, 2004 . October 10, 2021.
17. Web site: Hanna . Melissa Alonso and Jason . 2022-03-25 . A 14-year-old fell to his death from the new drop tower ride at Florida's ICON Park, authorities say . 2022-03-25 . CTVNews . en.
18. Web site: Orlando Free Fall to be torn down following teen's death . 7 October 2022 .
19. Web site: Demolition of Orlando FreeFall ride begins this week . 2023-04-04 . www.fox35orlando.com.
20. Web site: Carnival ride plummets 50 feet, terrifying moment caught on video . 5 September 2022 .