3. Mindbender
Park: Galaxyland (Alberta, Canada)
Ride Opened: 1985
Deaths: 3 Located at the indoor mall Galaxyland Amusement Park, the Mindbender is the largest indoor triple loop roller coaster in the world. A relatively short ride at just under 1:13 to complete the whole track, the Mindbender has nonetheless been the cause of one of the worst accidents in amusement park history. The accident occurred on the 14th of June, 1986, after missing bolts on the wheel assembly of one car caused the back of the train to disengage from the track. This led to several passengers being thrown off after the train began to whip violently, before the train entered the final loop, stalled, then slid into a concrete pillar. The incident led to the deaths of three people, and left one man critically injured. It took place while the park was full of revellers attending a concert, who bore witness to the terrible derailment. The ride was closed pending an investigation. The inquiry discovered that the problem was due to a mix-up in the translation between English and German maintenance information, leading to problems with how some of the wheels were attached to the axle. The cap screws had become loose over time, with some of them rubbing along the rails and snapping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YIKgeMNWfk After 7 months, Mindbender was reopened with redesigned trains. Ever since its reopening, the Mindbender has had no notable issues, and continues to be a popular attraction to this day.