Stratosphere awaiting OK to open thrill ride

Thursday, April 21, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

Las Vegas officials are waiting for three letters approving the safety of the Stratosphere's newest thrill ride before giving the hotel the OK to reopen it, a city spokesman said Thursday.

A wind gust of 61 mph prompted the ride, called Insanity, to automatically shut down abound 12:45 a.m. Thursday with two girls on it. The girls, ages 11 and 16, were stuck on the ride until 2:05 a.m., stranded, but strapped in, about 900 feet above the ground.

City spokesman Dave Riggleman said city inspectors asked the Stratosphere to turn off the ride, which they did.

Now the city is waiting on letters -- from the hotel, the rides original engineer, and an independent consultant -- saying the ride is working again before giving the Stratosphere approval to start up Insanity again, Riggleman said.

The hotel said the ride did not malfunction, but instead the high wind caused it to automatically go "into pause mode."

Ride workers manually overrode the pause to bring the ride, and the girls, back to the station, the hotel said.

Witnesses reported that the ride was pulled back to the observation deck by a chain.

Insanity extends an arm out from the top of the tower about 60 feet, then spins passengers quickly around a spindle. It opened March 10.