Riders on Superman: The Ride at Six Flags New England were left stranded in the air Friday after the roller coaster stalled at its highest point and staff evacuated them down a steep staircase along the edge of the structure.
The coaster got stuck just as a car filled with riders approached the top, leaving passengers paused above the park in Agawam, Massachusetts, before individuals in orange vests who appeared to be staff members guided them down the stairs. The ride reaches 77 miles per hour, stretches 5,400 feet and is built to finish in 90 seconds, with a maximum elevation of 208 feet.
Six Flags New England had opened its Quantum Accelerator on Friday, April 17, adding the property's 12th roller coaster and the first dual-launch straddle coaster in New England. The new ride launches passengers from 0 to 30 miles per hour at the start, then carries them at 45 miles per hour for the rest of the run while delivering 11 moments of airtime.
That contrast matters because the park was still promoting fresh thrills when Superman: The Ride failed above the track one week later. The stall did not injure riders in the facts provided, but it exposed the part of a day at an amusement park visitors never plan for: the slow, exposed climb out after the machine stops working. For the riders who were led down the staircase, the answer was simple and immediate — they got off safely, but only after being stuck high above the ground on Friday, April 24.
