ATLANTA — State inspection records show the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia repeatedly passed annual inspections over the past decade, with no significant violations documented involving its safety restraints.
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The records come under renewed scrutiny as investigators work to determine how 42-year-old Hassan Kariem was thrown from the roller coaster.
Georgia law requires amusement park rides to undergo daily inspections and tests before being opened to riders. Those checks include the operation of control devices, speed-limiting devices, brakes and other safety equipment.
“There should be inspections every single day,” attorney Aura Taylor said. “Just making sure they’re doing test runs so that everything is in good working order.”
Neither Six Flags nor the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire has said whether employees completed the required daily inspection Monday, when Kariem died after being thrown from Goliath.
“It’s the operator’s responsibility to ensure that these things are happening without deviations to keep people safe,” Taylor said.
In addition to daily checks by amusement park employees, state inspectors are required to inspect roller coasters annually.
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Channel 2 Action News reviewed 10 years of state inspection reports for Goliath. The coaster passed each annual inspection, with no significant violations documented involving its safety restraints.
The most recent inspection noted that bushings needed to be replaced. Bushings are components that can help reduce vibration. The inspection report does not state whether Six Flags replaced them.
Earlier inspection reports documented other issues.
In 2021 and 2019, inspectors noted loose rails in the ride’s waiting area and rust on walk ramps.
In 2018, inspectors cited crumbling concrete around six steel track-support beams. Records show the issue was corrected.
The Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire said that although Six Flags reopened Friday, Goliath will remain closed until the agency determines the ride is safe.
“Anytime you go to an amusement park, you’re looking for fun and you’re looking for a thrill, but you’re absolutely not looking for the type of event that took place,” Taylor said.
Channel 2 Action News sent questions to both Six Flags and the state about Goliath’s lap restraints and the ride’s inspection history. Both said they could not comment on details of the investigation while it remains ongoing.
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