Carowinds Roller Coaster Fury 325 Shut Down After Visitor Discovers Structural Crack
The Fury 325 roller coaster at Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, North Carolina, was shut down for nearly six weeks in the summer of 2023 after a park visitor, Jeremy Wagner, filmed a significant crack in a steel support column. Wagner's video, which showed daylight passing through the crack and the column flexing as trains passed, quickly circulated online. This discovery occurred despite regular inspections, including an annual inspection by the state's Amusement Device Bureau in February 2023 and daily maintenance walk-throughs, none of which had identified the severe structural flaw. North Carolina Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson indicated that the crack appeared to have been developing for several days prior to its public discovery. The manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, was involved in the repair process, which included building and installing a new steel column and a thorough inspection of the entire structure, revealing a second weld problem later in July.
