Historic Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island, N.Y., grinds to a halt

Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A mechanical malfunction has brought the famous Cyclone roller coaster in Brooklyn, N.Y., to an indefinite halt, officials said.

The Cyclone , one of the main attractions at Luna Park, was in midride with people on board when it shut down Thursday. It will remain stopped while crews determine what went wrong and how to fix it.

Investigators said the malfunction was caused by a cracked chain, and one of the cars remained stuck in place Friday. Several people were rescued safely from the near century-old wooden coaster , and there were no injuries reported.

Investigators said the ride will remain closed until repairs can be made. No timeline was given.

The amusement park was issued a pair of violations as a result of the malfunction. One was for failure to properly maintain the ride and the other was for not reporting the incident to the state.

The Cyclone , which opened on June 26, 1927, reaches a maximum speed of 60 mph hour and has a total track length of 2,640 feet, with a maximum height of 85 feet. Easch set of cars can carry 24 passengers.

On Sunday, Clark Ivers and Yasmine Larasati told AMNY had hoped to go on the ride but are glad they weren't on the ride when it shut down.

"I feel kind of relieved that that didn't happen to me," Ivers said. "She's an adrenaline junkie, but I'm not, and this was on her list to do for a while."