The FreeFall fall tower operator made manual adjustments in two positions along the route “obviously, to allow larger riders, something that should not have happened according to the manufacturer’s instructions,” Thompson said. “All the protocols, procedures and safety measures provided by the route manufacturer have been followed. Today’s report proposes a complete overhaul of the route’s design, safety, operation, restraint and history – which of course we welcome “Trevor Arnold,” the’s’s lawyer, Orlando Slingshot, said in a statement. “Seat 1 Wiring Proximity Sensor was loosened, adjusted and tightened manually to allow a nearly 7-inch hold opening,” about 4 inches more than the normal opening width for restraint systems, according to a report by Quest Engineering & Failure Analysis, Inc. . Engineers went to the scene of the accident to investigate in early April. The opening in the restraint system may have increased by up to 10 inches with force, according to the report. The FreeFall drop tower manufacturer’s instruction sets a rider’s weight limit at 250 pounds, Thomson said. Tire Sampson weighed about 340 pounds, his family told CNN. FreeFall leads riders to the top of a 430-foot tower, tilts them face-to-face and drops to speeds of up to 75 mph, according to the ICON Park website. Operators call it the tallest independent tower in the world, the sheriff’s office said. The route underwent a security inspection in December before being allowed to open, according to a security inspection report obtained by CNN. The document from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services noted that the fall tower underwent an inspection on December 20, 2021. No deficiencies were reported in the report. The report did not say who adapted the route, but found that the adjustments were made after the route’s braid sensors were “initially locked in place”. Fried said that now that they know what happened mechanically, they will then look to find out how and why, before assessing what penalties may arise. The pilot’s lawyer said that Orlando Slingshot “fully cooperated with the state during the initial phase of its investigation and we will continue to do so until it is formally completed. The route has been closed since Sampson’s death and will remain closed “indefinitely,” Fried said Monday. CNN’s Jason Hanna, Gregory Lemos, Alta Spells and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.
