A part from Millennium Force came loose on Oct. 16 at Cedar Point and fell into a VIP lounge, prompting the ride to shut down. No one was hurt, but the closure sent the coaster into a state inspection process before it could reopen.
Bryan Levin, the Ohio Department of Agriculture spokesperson, said park officials notified the state around 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 16. The detached piece was a nylon spacer that attached the body panels to the chassis of the vehicle.
Bryan Levin and the state response
Two state inspectors were dispatched to Cedar Point after the notification, and they reviewed the ride before it could return to service. The Ohio Department of Agriculture oversees amusement ride inspection, so the park had to work through that process before riders could get back on the coaster.
Millennium Force is one of Cedar Point's most popular roller coasters, which made the shutdown more than a brief operational pause for season passholders near the VIP lounge. The train returned to the station after the incident, but the ride stayed closed while inspectors looked at the equipment.
Millennium Force train issues
Inspectors found issues across all of the coaster's trains that had to be addressed before reopening. They included replacement work on Yellow Train Car 8 and repairs on Yellow Train Car 4, plus brake blade work on Blue Train Car 4.
Inspectors also found loose lap bar padding on several cars across Blue Train Car, Red Train Car, and Yellow Train Car. All Yellow lap bar pads on all trains had to be removed and hardware replaced to manufacturers specifications before further operation or use of trains.
One more issue turned up on Blue Train Car 3, where inspectors found unrepaired cracks and or damage on the front right seat on the frame box. The reason the nylon spacer became detached remains under investigation, and the ride cannot reopen until the identified problems are repaired.
