6 Minutes Of Fright: 75-Foot-High AZ State Fair Ride Malfunctions

PHOENIX – Five Arizona State Fair guests received an unexpected October fright on Friday when the Arizona State Fair’s 75-foot-tall Tango ride suddenly stopped mid-air, fair officials reported. The ride’s safety computer system, which stops the ride, was somehow activated according to fair spokesperson Brianda Martinez, azcentral.com reported.

Two things that might have resulted in the ride’s 6-minute stop-and-lock are either a momentary power loss or a sensor notification, Martinez detailed, yet there was no cause for alarm, she said. “The ride did what it is designed to do, and at no time [was] passengers’ safety compromised,” she explained.

During the 6 minutes of uncertainty, a YouTube video captured a mother asking fair workers questions on the ground and calling out to her children, who were on the ride.

After fair operators got the Tango moving again in 6 minutes, the passengers who had experienced the mid-air stop “were unloaded without incident.” A safety inspection was performed, and the Tango entertained guests the remainder of the day.

The Arizona State Fair continues through Oct. 27.

Read the full story at azcentral.com.