UPDATE August 11 – This is the news we have all been waiting for, Fury 325 at Carowinds has now reopened having been shuttered since June 30 due to a large crack in one of the support beams. The second crack which was discovered during the safety inspection has now been repaired, Fury 325 has completed its vigorous testing and the North Carolina Department of Labor has given this headlining roller coaster the green light to operate again.
Here is the official statement which was released by Carowinds:
“Carowinds today announced that Fury 325 has reopened following the completion of the repair and testing process, and a final inspection by the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau (the Bureau). The return to operation marks the end of a comprehensive plan dedicated to ensuring the safety and operational readiness of the coaster.
Over the past several weeks, crews installed a new steel column fabricated by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride manufacturer, ensuring precise alignment and fastening of the track/column connection. Working closely with B&M and our consultants, the team initiated a series of detailed tests to ensure the coaster’s safety and integrity. These included an accelerometer test that uses sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience. After that, we operated the ride for 500+ full cycles, performing tests and inspections to ensure the ride’s integrity throughout that period. B&M and a third-party testing firm then conducted a final inspection to ensure the ride surpassed all required specifications.
Earlier today, August 10, the Bureau conducted a final inspection and formally approved reopening of the ride.
We extend our sincere thanks to all those who worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to repair and prepare Fury 325 for reopening. We are excited to welcome back our guests to one of Carowinds’ most popular rides.”
This is certainly excellent news for Carowinds and for fans of Fury 325 and we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Carowinds and Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) for their commitment to getting Fury 325 fixed, tested and reopened as quickly as possible.
August 10 – It has been a long time since Fury 325 shut down on June 30, after the first large crack was found in the support. Thanks to a new update from Theme Park Predictions we now know that the second “weld indication” was a minor crack on the first high-speed turn of the ride. This has now been fixed and the testing has been completed meaning Carowinds is waiting for the North Carolina Department of Labor to complete the safety inspection and give Fury 325 the green light to operate once again.
It is expected that once this has been done, since Fury 325 has been down for over a month that the ride operators will have a day of training before Fury 325 reopens to guests.
We are expecting Fury 325 to reopen quickly after the final safety inspection has been completed. We will update you when further information on the reopening of Fury 325 is confirmed.
August 1 – We can now update you with the official statement released by Carowinds regarding the second “weld indication,” which “could be either a break or a crack.” This has appeared on the press release page of the Carowinds website:
“Carowinds continues to conduct a comprehensive series of detailed tests and inspections in preparation for the reopening of Fury 325. Each step of the process is under careful monitoring, with remedial action taken to ensure the structure’s safety and integrity. Upon completion of this phase, the ride will undergo final inspections by the ride manufacturer, a third-party testing firm, and the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau, all aimed at preparing Fury 325 for its reopening.
We are conducting a full maintenance review of Fury 325 during this testing process. This maintenance review – which is consistent with routine off-season procedures – includes a review of the steel superstructure, the trains, and the ride control system. During such reviews, it is not uncommon to discover slight weld indications in various locations of a steel superstructure. It is important to note that these indications do not compromise the structural integrity or safety of the ride. When such indications are found, we conduct non-destructive testing to determine the appropriate remedy. Once a repair is completed, it undergoes inspection and approval before the ride is deemed operational. Additionally, as is customary, we conduct test cycles to ensure its smooth operation before guests are allowed on the ride.”
From this statement we learn that a “full maintenance review” is being conducted and Carowinds appears to be playing down the news of the 2nd break or crack saying it is “not uncommon to discover slight weld indications in various locations of a steel superstructure.” The key point is that these weld indications “do not compromise the structural integrity or safety of the ride.”
We are currently unsure exactly how Carowinds will repair this newly discovered “weld indication” and when Fury 325 will be able to reopen but trust that it will be repaired as quickly as possible and testing will then resume by the North Carolina Department of Labor to ensure the full safety inspection is passed and Fury 325 can then operate again as soon as possible.
Rumors of a mid-August reopening could come to fruition but it really is too soon to speculate on a reopening date when limited information is known regarding how this second weld indication will be repaired and how much testing will then be needed following the repair.
We know that Fury 325 had to complete 500 cycles after the installation of the new support column but so far have not been given details of exactly how many more cycles of testing Fury 325 will have to go through before it reopens. We will keep you posted on further updates on the reopening of Fury 325 as soon as they are announced.
July 29 – There is very bad news for fans of Fury 325 as it was confirmed on Friday July 28 by the North Carolina Department of Labor that it has been informed of a second “weld indication,” which “could be either a break or a crack.”
Meredith Watson, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Labor, said in a statement that “No certificate of operation has been issued nor do we have a timeline of when the certificate of operation will be issued for the Fury 325.”
According to the video posted to Queen City News on July 29, this new crack or break was discovered when Carowinds workers were testing Fury 325 after the new support beam had been installed. Currently, there has not been any confirmation of exactly where or how large this crack or break is.
This news certainly explains why Carowinds has not announced an official reopening date for Fury 325 as the state will not be able to recertify Fury 325 to operate until this new crack or break is fixed.
Now, as it currently stands, it is impossible to predict exactly when Fury 325 will reopen as this second crack or break may be able to be fixed quite quickly or we could see an extended downtime if it is indeed in another support column which the inspectors deem that is needed to be replaced.
What we do know is that our initial hopes for Fury 325 to be up and running this weekend will certainly not be the case and those rumors that Fury 325 won’t reopen until mid August may well come to fruition.
We expect Carowinds to issue an official statement very soon to inform guests of what is happening and we will keep you up to date with all the latest developments regarding Fury 325 here at Theme park Tourist.
July 28 – Well, we had been hoping to bring you an update today that Carowinds had announced a reopening date for Fury 325 but unfortunately that is not the case at the current time of writing. Four weeks ago (June 30), a large crack on one of the support beams on Fury 325 was seen by a park-goer and the roller coaster was shut down.
Right from the start, Carowinds had a huge sense of urgency to get Fury 325 reopened again as quickly as possible but in the last week it appears to have all gone quiet. It has been reported that investigators and inspectors from the North Carolina Department for Labor have been onsite and are continuing to carry out the safety inspection. We hope that this testing is just taking slightly longer than was originally expected and there is not an unexpected issue with the roller coaster.
With the 500 cycles of necessary testing having been completed on the nights of July 17 and 18, we expected to have heard an official statement from Carowinds by now to confirm when Fury 325 will reopen and to reassure fans that Fury 325 has been fully tested and is safe to ride.
All we can do is patiently wait and we are expecting to hear an update of some sort today ahead of the weekend. We will inform you of the reopening date for Fury 325 as soon as it is released.
July 25 – In an update video posted to YouTube by WCNC, it is confirmed by Carowinds that Fury 325 is still currently closed to the public despite some rumors online stating that the roller coaster had reopened.
July 24 – Well unfortunately our prediction that Fury 325 would reopen over the weekend at Carowinds has not come to fruition.
There was a real sense of urgency to get the new support column delivered to Carowinds and replaced on Thursday July 13 with the 500 cycles of testing being completed Monday and Tuesday nights. We expected to see investigators and inspectors from the North Carolina Department for Labor at Carowinds on Friday to begin the necessary checks that are needed in order to sign Fury 325 off as being safe to operate again.
According to the video posted to YouTube by Theme Park Predictions on July 22 which has subsequently been deleted, all was quiet on site at Fury 325 on Friday July 21. The barricades still surround the roller coaster and maintenance equipment is still scattered.
Some coaster fans online are predicting a mid-August reopening for Fury 325 which to us doesn’t make any sense at all. Carowinds has pushed forward with urgency for the last three weeks to get their top roller coaster reopen as soon as possible. There would have been no point in doing this if mid-August was the planned reopening schedule.
Attendance at Carowinds is understandably lower than usual and with Night Hawk and Vortex also currently closed, with Night Hawk expected to have a lengthy downtime, it is even more imperative that Carowinds gets Fury 325 as soon as possible.
July 21 – Although things have appeared to go quiet regarding Fury 325 in the last couple of days, we know that hundreds of cycles of testing has been completed at Carowinds this week. Today was the earliest day we were led to believe that the investigators and inspectors from the North Carolina Department for Labor were expected at Carowinds to begin the necessary checks that are needed in order to sign Fury 325 off as being safe to operate again.
Today marks the three week anniversary of Fury 325 being shut down after a park-goer noticed the large crack in the support column. The video posted by Jeremy Wagner went viral and an investigation continues regarding the cause and the length of time the crack had been there unnoticed before splitting on June 30.
We are expecting to see inspectors on site in the next couple of days to carry out the necessary safety inspections and we will update you as soon as there is news of a reopening date for this very popular giga coaster at Carowinds.
July 19 – It has been confirmed by Queen City News that testing continued on Fury 325 at Carowinds last night (July 18). It seems as if testing is going well and we assume it will have completed it’s 500 cycles over the last two nights. We await to see if further testing will take place tonight.
The next step is for a third party to do a final inspection on site to sign Fury 325 off as being safe to operate again. Carowinds has certainly put everything into getting Fury 325 back up and running in the quickest time and we await confirmation of an official reopening date.
In the video posted yesterday, Brandon suggests that we could see Fury 325 reopening on Thursday or Friday. However, previous information led us to believe that the team of investigators and inspectors from the North Carolina Department for Labor were expected on site at Carowinds at the earliest Friday July 21. We therefore predict a reopening at some point this weekend. We will keep you posted of all further developments on Fury 325 this week.
July 18 – This is the news that Fury 325 fans have all been waiting for. At 11PM on Monday July 17, Fury 325 at Carowinds officially started testing. This is the first time we have seen Fury 325 running since it was shut down after the large crack was spotted in one of its support columns by a park-goer on Friday June 30.
The most recent video posted to YouTube by Theme Park Predictions shows the testing which took place last night. Two trains were being tested from 11PM to approximately 8AM this morning (July 18). Each train was loaded with water dummies and it appears so far that the testing is going very well and the trains appear to be running very smoothly.
Testing is expected again tonight from 11AM to approximately 8AM (July 19) . This should complete the 500 runs which is required before inspections are carried out to determine when Fury 325 is safe to resume operation. We expect any finishing touches to be done on Wednesday ready for the inspections to be carried out.
July 14 – The breaking news regarding Fury 325 is that the new support column to replace the affected cracked one arrived at Carowinds yesterday and has now been put in place.
In the video posted to YouTube by Queen City News, you get to see the new support column being raised. This is indeed quite an accomplishment from Carowinds and B&M that in less than 2 weeks since the roller coaster was officially closed, after the alarm was raised when the extensive crack was spotted by a park-goer, that a new support column is in place.
For those of you who are interested in getting a more detailed look at how the process of installing this new support column on Fury 325 took place, you can check out the latest video from Theme Park Predictions which is embedded below.
Testing is expected to begin early next week and with the team of investigators and inspectors from the North Carolina Department for Labor expected on site at Carowinds at the earliest Friday July 21, it looks like there is still hope that we could see Fury 325 reopening before the end of July.
The reopening of Fury 325 is inevitably highly dependant on the testing and inspecting process going smoothly which we hope will be the case. We still await news of an official reopening date but it is certainly a fantastic step forward to see the new support column for Fury 325 now in place. We will continue to update you on details of the investigation as it unfolds.
July 13 – It is the news we have all been waiting for, the cracked support beam has been removed from Fury 325 has been removed in preparation for the new beam to be installed. The new support column is expected to arrive at Carowinds today.
In the newly posted video to YouTube from Queen City News we get to see footage of this process happening which is certainly exciting to see for all Fury 325 fans.
The investigation continues regarding the cause as well as how long the crack had been visible for prior to it completely opening up on July 1. We find out that the affected beam had been welded a few weeks prior to the crack forming and according to an Industry expert the likely cause is that the steel beam weakened and begun to give out over a period of time.
As you can see from the video the part of the roller coaster which was supported by the support column which is being removed, is now held up by hydraulic jacks whilst the process of installing the new support column takes place.
When the support column has been successfully installed, Fury 325 will go through vigorous safety testing including an “accelerometer test that uses sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience” as well as operating Fury 325 for 500 full cycles.
North Carolina Department for Labor says that the earliest their team of investigators and inspectors will be able to get on site at Carowinds will be Friday July 21.
Although we still don’t have a confirmed timeline for when Fury 325 will reopen, what we do know is that the old support column has been removed and the new one is expected to arrive today (July 13). Progress is certainly being made on getting Fury 325 operating again as soon as possible. We will continue to update you on our news and Facebook page.
Continue reading to see previous updates regarding the ongoing investigation into the likely cause of the crack in the support column and why it wasn’t seen earlier…
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…
July 6 – Carowinds fans will be eager to hear an update on Fury 325 and in the latest video update, posted to YouTube by Theme Park Predictions on July 5, we get to see what is going on with this headlining coaster and further speculation as to when it could reopen at the park.
In the video footage you can see a boom lift which was used to take three contractors or maintenance workers up to examine the steel plates on the morning of July 5, which had been welded into the support on July 4.
Contractors and Carowinds maintenance staff have scaled all 6602ft of Fury 325 to check for any other cracks or issues and currently it appears that there are no further problems. Officials from B&M are also on site to oversee the work being carried out. Carowinds appears to be continuing to work to get Fury 325 back up and running as quickly as possible.
For those who are still questioning whether Fury 325 will pass safety inspections with the steel plates in place rather than a full replacement of the whole support pillar, it has come to light that similar metal plates are in place on Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Gatekeeper at Cedar Point to provide the extra support needed. These roller coasters are running without issue which gives us further hope that we could see Fury reopening again soon.
The metal supports are speculated to be a temporary measure so the roller coaster can continue to run safely until the replacement support pillar can be manufactured and then installed which is expected to be done in the off season to minimise the impact to guests and the park.
As of the time of writing, still nothing has been officially confirmed at this point regarding a reopening date. We will continue to update you on this.
July 5 – All eyes on on Carowinds and Fury 325 and according to the latest video update from Theme Park Predictions, it is rumored that we could see Fury 325 reopening soon. Now this is speculation and nothing has been confirmed by Carowinds regarding a reopening as of yet but it definitely seems clear that the park means business as workers are on site and were seen taking steps yesterday (July 4) to fix the crack in the support pillar.
This may come as a shock to many fans that work is already taking place on the support pillar. It appears that four or five steel plates have been welded into the support structure at the site of the crack. We assume that this is to strengthen the affected area and will provide a temporary fix for this issue. Long term, it is assumed that the support pillar will need to be fully replaced which will mean a longer period of downtime which Carowinds if possible will likely choose to do in the low-season, potentially January/February.
Fans are sceptical that a temporary fix will be sufficient to pass the necessary safety tests but as already mentioned, Carowinds is going at this full throttle which shows that they are not wasting anytime getting the work done so the ride can be reopened as quickly as possible.
It is also mentioned in the video about the question regarding adding trim brakes before the treble clef to slow the train down before going over the track which has the affected support pillar. This is dismissed due to the speculation that if a trim brake was added, the train would likely not have enough speed particularly on windy days to crest the top of the treble clef. However, there has not been any official word on this at the moment.
It is becoming more obvious that if Carowinds were planning a longer downtime for this headlining roller coaster that they wouldn’t choose to pay hefty fees for contractors to work July 4! There certainly seems hope of a reopening in the coming weeks and we will keep you up to date on the latest developments regarding Fury 325 as soon as they are announced.
July 4 – A full investigation is now underway after a large crack appeared in one of the support pillars on Fury 325 at Carowinds, North Carolina. It was initially filmed by guest, Jeremy Wagner. Luckily, Fury 325 completed its circuit without any incident and no one has been injured. The roller coaster was instantly closed and a full investigation is now under way.
According to the new video posted to YouTube by Theme Park Predictions, a number of maintenance workers/contractors were onsite yesterday walking the track and examining it for further cracks or issues. There has been a huge buzz in the park with guests taking photos of the crack and watching the track inspection. There is also currently a big security presence in the park with security guards and police.
We don’t have any confirmation as of yet as to the reason for this crack, it is being speculated that it could be to do with the weight of the train or it may be something to do with the footer. What we do know is that this type of incident is almost unheard of especially with a B&M coaster such as this.
Workers have been spending a lot of time so far examining the area surrounding the affected support and we are unsure how long this inspection will continue for.
Let’s look at the question, when will it reopen? Well, the current rumor which is being floated is that we could see Fury 325 reopening by the end of the month. To us, this seems very optimistic considering the size of the crack and the necessary investigations and work to be carried out to rectify this issue. We expect Fury 325 to be shuttered for significantly longer than a few weeks.
Fury 325 reaches speeds of up to 95mph and is the tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America. The 3 minute 25 second ride takes guests through 6,602 feet of track with several intense elements including an 81-degree drop and a 180 degree helix.
We await news whether any other weaknesses or issues have been found with Fury 325 and will bring you further updates when they are announced. The closure of Fury 325 is certainly a big loss for Carowinds especially over this holiday season and we hope to bring you news of a confirmed reopening date in the coming weeks.
