Big crack on Fury 325 bucks manufacturer’s track record

CHARLOTTE — The video and pictures of a large crack in Carowinds’ Fury 325 roller coaster may have sent more shivers down spines than the ride itself this past weekend, but the manufacturer behind the ginormous giga-coaster is largely known for producing safe rides.

Channel 9 reported Friday when a visitor at Carowinds spotted the large crack in a support beam holding up part of the track. The guest also shared a video showing a car full of passengers traversing a turn, which causes the track to separate from the support beam.

Carowinds told Channel 9 that the ride was closed and “will remain closed until repairs have been completed.” A spokesperson said all of the rides at the park undergo daily inspections. Meanwhile, inspectors with the North Carolina Department of Labor were at the park on Monday to investigate what may have led to the crack.

WATCH: Inspectors get close look at crack on Fury 325:

The company that designed and manufactured the roller coaster is Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, also known as B&M. The company was founded in 1988 and is credited for inventing several roller coaster developments, including the inverted roller coaster.

According to Roller Coaster DataBase, B&M has built 124 roller coasters since its founding, and nearly all of them are still in operation to this day. As of Monday, Fury 325 was the only B&M coaster in the U.S. that was listed as “standing but not operating.”

(IMAGES: Building the world’s biggest giga coaster at Carowinds)

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We don’t know how long the ride will be out of commission while the ride is under inspection. According to a feature by Great American Thrills, B&M has never had a catastrophic failure on one of its coasters, and minor repair issues “don’t take long to fix.”

Carowinds has three other B&M roller coasters: Vortex (1992), Afterburn (1999), and Intimidator (2010).

Channel 9 has reached out to B&M for comment on the support beam failure. On Tuesday, B&M responded, saying: “We have a representative from our company on site. We will continue to work closely with Carowinds to determine the cause, the repair and the reopening of the coaster. Please rest assured that safety is our top priority.”

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