July 12 - There was a new video posted to YouTube yesterday by Queen City News which shows workers on the track near to the affected cracked support.

Whilst nothing has been confirmed as to their purpose, we assume they are carrying out preparation work ahead of the replacement support column being delivered. We expect to be able to bring you a further update on Fury 325 very soon.

July 10 - The investigation into the crack in one of the steel support columns in Fury 325 is still underway but in breaking news, USA Today has posted an article which quotes Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson telling the Associated Press that “It looks like maybe six to 10 days prior, some pictures had been taken that shows the beginning of the crack, and then by obviously last Friday, the thing was completely severed,”

This is certainly disturbing news and contradicts the President of the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials who said in an interview with Queen City News, that he didn't believe that the crack had popped open when the daily inspection of the ride was conducted on the morning of the incident. Now, according to the new information from Dobson the crack had clearly been visible for just over a week but perhaps not to the extent it was when Wagner videoed it. Further investigation is certainly needed and is being conducted.

All eyes are on Carowinds as we await the arrival of the new support beam from the B&M manufacturing plant for Fury 325. In the official statement which was released by Carowinds last week, the new support beam is expected to arrive at some point this week. Currently, they can not be any more specific with the timeline than that.

We assume that Carowinds are ready and waiting and as soon as the new support beam arrives, the installation will begin, closely overlooked by B&M officials. In a video posted by WCNC it further confirms that the large crack in the support beam was formed along a weld line in the steel column. The original video posted by park goer, Jeremy Wagner shows the disturbing scene of the track moving as the train passes the affected support column.

Carowinds were sure to confirm in their official statement when talking about the ride manufacturer that, "B&M is regarded as one of the premier ride manufacturers in the world, with an impeccable reputation for quality and engineering. It’s important to understand that rides like Fury 325 are designed with redundancies in place to ensure the safety of guests in the event of an issue such as this."

WCNC reached out to Carowinds to get confirmation as to what a daily check on a ride such as Fury 325 looks like? The answer still appears unclear but what is known is that "mechanics and electricians cycle the ride unoccupied each morning to ensure the ride and its systems are properly functioning." It doesn't appear that there is any daily inspection of the support columns to check for potential weaknesses or issues. As already mentioned it is concerning that this crack was not discovered and acted upon by Carowinds if indeed the crack was visible to any degree on the days leading up to the full crack opening up.

It has been implied that as a result of this incident, Carowinds will implement further inspections of the hard to see and reach areas, including the support columns, of the roller coaster through the use of drones in the future. This will certainly give fans of Fury 325 extra peace of mind.

We know that the investigation continues into the cause of this crack and extensive testing will be conducted including the roller coaster being run 500 times before it will be given approval to reopen again. There has been confirmation that Carowinds will hire a third party inspector and the North Carolina Department of Labor has clarified that there will be an additional inspection performed on top of the usual annual inspection going forward.

Carowinds and B&M are certainly doing everything they can to get Fury 325 reopen again as safely and as quickly as possible and we will keep you informed as soon as there are developments with the investigation and on site with the delivery of the new support column.

July 7 - We have been closely following the developments with Fury 325 since its closure on June 30 due to a crack in one of the support pillars. Carowinds has now released an official statement explaining what is being done with this headlining roller coaster and when a reopening is likely:

"Since July 1, the park’s maintenance team and representatives from the ride’s manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc. (B&M), have conducted a thorough inspection of the entire track, support columns and foundation. In addition, and in partnership with B&M, we have performed a battery of tests to identify the cause of the fracture, which appears to have formed along a weld line in the steel column.

Working in close coordination with B&M, we are planning to remove and replace the existing support column. The new support column, which is being fabricated by B&M, is expected to be delivered to the park next week.

Following the installation of the new column, and as part of our normal protocol for rides such as Fury 325, we will conduct an extensive series of tests to ensure the safety and integrity of the coaster. These will include an accelerometer test that uses sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience. After that, we plan to operate the ride for 500 full cycles, performing tests and inspections of the entire ride throughout that period. Once this phase is completed, we will ask B&M and the third-party testing firm to perform a final inspection to ensure the ride exceeds all required specifications.

B&M is regarded as one of the premier ride manufacturers in the world, with an impeccable reputation for quality and engineering. It’s important to understand that rides like Fury 325 are designed with redundancies in place to ensure the safety of guests in the event of an issue such as this.

While we regularly inspect the coaster, we are planning to implement additional inspection procedures to ensure we are making every effort to promptly identify and address future potential issues. These new measures will include the regular use of drones outfitted with cameras to access and inspect hard-to-reach areas.

The safety of our guests and associates will always be Carowinds’ top priority. Once the new support column is in place and all testing and inspections have been completed, we will work with the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau to prepare Fury 325 for reopening. We will share an update on the reopening of the ride when a date has been finalized."

So, this statement confirms that a new support column is being fabricated by B&M and is scheduled to arrive at the park next week. Having thought that Carowinds may wait for the low season to install the new support column, instead the column will be replaced immediately, meaning the steel plates that had been welded into the support column on July 4, are likely there to provide necessary support in the interim.

Carowinds reiterates that B&M has "an impeccable reputation for quality and engineering. It’s important to understand that rides like Fury 325 are designed with redundancies in place to ensure the safety of guests in the event of an issue such as this."

Once the new support column has been installed the roller coaster will go through vigorous testing with at least 500 full cycles before the final inspection will be completed and the green light will be given for Fury 325 to operate again.

It is also interesting to note that Carowinds has included in the statement that once Fury 325 reopens it will be closely monitored to prevent any further issues such as this to occur in the future through the use of a drone to make it easier to inspect. We expect that drones will also be used to examine the other roller coasters in the park, this certainly makes sense for the successful monitoring of the attractions.

We commend Carowinds on their transparency and with the confirmed information, we speculate that Fury 325 will remain closed for a number of weeks in order for the new support column to arrive, be installed, the roller coaster to be extensively tested and the full safety inspection to be conducted and signed off on. 

Read on for previous information and updates regarding Fury 325...