OC Fair Reopens G-Force Ride After State Inspectors Give OK

COSTA MESA (CBSLA.com) – The Orange County Fair reopened a popular ride Wednesday, two weeks after shutting it down as a precaution following a fatal accident at a similar ride in Ohio.

The O.C. Fair announced that it is reopening the G-Force ride after both Cal/OSHA and independent inspectors deemed it safe.

On July 26, a man was killed and seven other people were injured at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus when they were thrown from "The Fire Ball," a ride that swings back and forth like a pendulum and spins in the air.

Dutch company KMG, which manufactures the Fire Ball, announced Tuesday that its investigators determined the Ohio accident was caused by excessive corrosion. The corrosion ate away at a support beam over several years, eventually causing it to break.

Following the accident, G-Force, a similar ride to the Fire Ball, was immediately shut down. Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park also followed suit and shut down its version of the Fire Ball, making it one of six California parks whose amusement ride owners voluntarily agreed to shut down their Fire Ball rides.

"We have taken every precaution to ensure that G Force is safe," O.C. Fair spokesman Terry Moore said in a statement. "The ride passed multiple layers of inspections and is in top shape for G Force fans to enjoy."

It was not immediately clear if Knott's Berry Farm had also reopened its Fire Ball ride.