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Jacksonville Fair ride fails safety inspection

Tornado ride could be back in service as soon as Monday night, workers say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The rides are always a popular attraction at the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair, but not all of them passed inspection, state records show.

One of the Tornado rides failed the safety inspection, according to the inspection report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service.

The fair operates two separate Tornado rides on either end of the park. The one next to the Space Train ride failed the inspection due to damaged and worn restraint latches and bearing plate bolts that needed to be replaced, the report shows.

A manager with Belle City Amusements, the company that runs the Jacksonville Fair, said the manufacturer deemed the ride safe to operate without one of the bolts, but they decided to shut down the ride until they could replace the part.

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The 3.5-inch bolt was a specialty item that had to be ordered. It came in Monday and crews spent the morning making repairs to the ride.

Workers told News4Jax that after the brief closure and quick fix, the ride could be back in service as soon as Monday night.

If all goes well with the follow-up inspection, the second Tornado ride will be spinning again. The Belle City Amusements manager said safety is their No.1 priority. The company has an A-rating with the Better Business Bureau, along with zero complaints in the last year. 

Before the fair opens, each ride goes through an inspection to make sure it's safe to operate.

RIDE INSPECTION REPORTS: Primetime AmusementsTrans America AmusementsDreamland AmusementsMidway Rides of UticaBelle City AmusementsBelle City Amusements - re-inspections

Out of 61 attractions, inspectors found problems with more than half, citing damaged latches, broken restraint bolts, sharp edges and cracks in the rides. After the problems were fixed, the rides were given the OK.