Cult roller coaster closed after malfunction in the middle of the ride

A nearly century-old iconic roller coaster at New York City's Coney Island has been closed indefinitely after a malfunction occurred during a ride on Thursday.

According to the Associated Press, operators shut down the Cyclone, Luna Park's 97-year-old wooden roller coaster, en route to its infamous drop because a sprocket in the machine room was damaged.

After the ride was canceled, several people were rescued from the roller coaster unharmed, the New York City Department of Public Works said.

Authority inspectors went to the attraction site on Friday and issued violations to Luna Park's owners for damaged equipment and failure to immediately notify of the incident.

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The cyclone (Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/File)

“Safety is a top priority at Luna Park in Coney Island. Ride maintenance and thorough testing occurs daily prior to Luna Park's opening and during the day as needed,” Luna Park officials wrote on the park's website. “The Coney Island Cyclone is a 97-year-old roller coaster that is meticulously maintained and tested daily. The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) has inspected the facility and approved it for opening on August 21, 2024.”

The post went on to say that the Cyclone was temporarily closed due to a mechanical problem that occurred on Thursday and was currently being repaired.

“We will reopen the Cyclone roller coaster once repairs are complete and the ride passes DOB inspection,” the park said.

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The Coney Island Cyclone is pictured around 1952. (Bob Henriques/Pix/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Built in 1927, Cyclone has survived natural disasters, park closures, rapid urban development, and numerous other threats to its existence. It is one of the oldest roller coasters still in operation in the United States.

The Cyclone is considered significant not only by roller coaster enthusiasts, but also by state and national authorities. In fact, the Cyclone was declared an “ACE Roller Coaster Landmark” on June 2, 2002, according to the American Coaster Enthusiasts website.

This designation is given to “journeys of historical significance,” it said.

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People ride the Cyclone at Coney Island in New York City on May 31, 2021. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

In 1988, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Cyclone a landmark, stating that the ride is “often cited as one of our nation's finest designed roller coasters” and is one of fewer than 100 remaining wooden-track roller coasters in the United States.

Three years later National Register of Historic Places has added the Cyclone Roller Coaster to its database. It is one of only five roller coasters to receive this honor.

“The Cyclone Roller Coaster still conveys the thrill of the roller coasters that were once so popular at Coney Island; it is a rare, significant relic of that earlier era,” says the National Register of Historic Places.

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The attraction itself has a height difference of 26 meters, is 800 meters long and reaches a top speed of 96 km/h. It is not too different from the attraction when it opened.

In 1939, twelve years after it opened, renovations to the Cyclone shortened the first drop by five feet and “some of the roller coaster's curves were realigned at that time to provide a faster and bumpier ride,” according to the National Register of Historic Places.

Christine Rousselle of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.