Orlando, FL - A worker tragically passed away while working on a ride at Magical Midway, which is located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida on July 2nd. The incident occurred while the 30 year-old Justin Honeycutt was performing maintenance on the Star Flyer attraction. No guests were involved in the accident.

Several local Orlando sources report that the worker was working on the attraction while strapped into a harness at a height of about 90 feet when he suddenly fell. The restraint system he was wearing caught him after falling around six feet, but he was unconscious as he was left to hang in the air.

Employees in the surrounding areas cleared out as emergency crews arrived on the scene around four minutes after the accident and the fire department began lowering the worker. Unfortunately he was unconscious and later passed away at the scene according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Magical Midway reopened the next day, but the Star Flyer remained closed for several days while the FL Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection, which is part of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, inspected the ride. Star Flyer had never had any safety issues in the past. Star Flyer recently reopened to the public on July 10th, but the reason that the worker fell is yet to be determined according to 13 News.

Star Flyer is often referred to as "America's only carousel on steroids." Built by Funtime, the Star Flyer type attraction can stand anywhere from 38 meters tall to 117 meters tall. The ride consists of chairs hanging from metal chains that extend up to a star shape fixture that spins in a circle while ascending and descending the central pole. The ride concept is the same as the SkyScreamer models that have recently gone into Six Flags parks across the country.

COASTER-net would like to point out to the readers that this accident was caused by a failure in the mechanic's safety equipment during routine maintenance on the ride. This was an isolated incident and there is no mechanical issue on the ride that should keep any guests from being concerned about riding any other StarFlyer/SkyScreamer rides or the similar WindSeeker rides.