Repairs were still being made late Tuesday afternoon on the ride that partially collapsed at the Kern County Fair on Saturday, leaving riders hanging mid-air.
Officials with Butler Amusements say they had to wait for some parts that came in Tuesday afternoon for the "Spin Out" ride. Things had to be fixed after Saturday's malfunction on the ride.
The "Spin Out" is almost ready to go," said Lance Moyer, Chief Operations Officer for Butler Amusements. "As a precautionary measure we put new bolts on everything in case the bolts were stretched. They came in this afternoon, and we are putting them on and we anticipate opening this evening."
Butler Amusements operates the Kern County Fair rides now and has for the past dozen years. They say "Spin Out's" emergency shut-off worked as programmed during Saturday's accident. And, they've since replaced the failed blocking.
Cal-OSHA inspects each traveling ride annually. That requirement began after the 1967 Kern County Fair, when 17-year-old Kaye Lynn Melton was thrown from what, her sister says, was a faulty door on a ride and killed.
"She wasn't probably gone half hour from that and they started the ride back up again. So, they didn't even close the ride down. They just kept going," explained Glenda Lee, Melton's surviving sister. "I think everybody should be careful with what they want to get on or not. But, I think a fair ride is a lot more dangerous because they do have to move it around a lot."
Cal-OSHA records show no previous problems with the "Spin Out" at the fair. And, after a few days of fixes, Butler Amusements assures it will be 100% once it reopens.
"You know it's a good, safe ride, and I wouldn't hesitate to put my children on it," said Moyer.
Cal-OSHA is still investigating Saturday's incident. Ride operators also inspect traveling rides every time they are torn apart and put back together. And, Butler Amusements says they have one of the best safety records around.
