June 21, 2007. It started as a typical, sticky-hot summer day in Louisville. 13-year-old Kaitlyn Lassiter was just looking for a thrill with her friends. They ended up on the Superman: Tower of Power, a ride that was supposed to be a highlight of their trip to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.
Instead, it became the site of one of the most horrific theme park accidents in American history.
If you’ve heard the stories, you know they’re tough to stomach. But there is a lot of misinformation out there about what actually failed that day. It wasn't just a "freak accident." It was a massive failure of maintenance, technology, and split-second decision-making.
The Ride: From Hellevator to Superman
Before it was the Tower of Power, the ride was known as the Hellevator. It was an Intamin "Giant Drop" model. Basically, it slowly hauled you 177 feet into the air, held you there for a few agonizing seconds, and then dropped you. You’d hit speeds of over 50 mph before the magnetic brakes kicked in.
In 2007, Six Flags gave it a fresh coat of paint and the Superman branding. It looked brand new. It wasn't.
Actually, the ride had been around since 1995. The cables—the very things holding those heavy cars and the lives of the passengers—were the original equipment.
The Moment Everything Broke
Kaitlyn and her friends decided to go for a second ride because the lines were short. Honestly, who wouldn't?
📖 Related: The WDBJ Shooting: What Really Happened to Alison Parker and Adam Ward
As the car began its slow ascent, something felt off. There was a loud "snap." Most people think the cable broke during the drop, but that’s a common misconception. The cable actually snapped while the car was still climbing.
Witnesses say they heard a sound like a gunshot. A steel cable, under immense tension, whipped through the air. It lashed across the riders. Kaitlyn later described feeling something wrap around her neck and legs. She managed to pull the cable away from her face, but it stayed looped around her feet.
The Fatal Delay
Here is the part that still haunts the investigators: the ride operators knew something was wrong. They heard the snap. They saw the cable swinging. They even heard "unusual screaming" that didn't sound like the typical fun-scary yells of a drop tower.
But they didn't hit the Emergency Stop (E-Stop).
Because they hesitated, the car reached the top of the tower. Then, the computer released it. As the car plummeted 154 feet, the snapped cable—which was now tangled around Kaitlyn’s legs—tightened with the force of the drop.
✨ Don't miss: Corpus Christi Newspaper Obituaries: Finding What You Need Without Overpaying
By the time the car hit the brakes at the bottom, the cable had acted like a guillotine.
The Aftermath and the Investigation
The damage was catastrophic. Both of Kaitlyn's feet were severed above the ankle. Her left femur was shattered.
Medical teams rushed to the scene. In a miracle of modern surgery, doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were able to reattach her right foot. However, the damage to her left leg was too severe. It had to be amputated.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) launched a massive probe. Their final report was scathing. It pointed to two main factors:
- A faulty, aged cable: The cable that snapped had been in use for years and was showing signs of "fatigue and corrosion" that should have been caught during inspections.
- Operator Error: The KDA stated that if the operator had pressed the E-Stop when the cable first snapped during the ascent, Kaitlyn likely would have walked away with nothing more than "cuts and scrapes."
Why This Accident Changed Everything
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom didn't wait long to decide the ride's fate. By November 2007, they announced the Superman: Tower of Power would be demolished. It was gone by the 2008 season.
📖 Related: Supreme Court Straight Woman: Why the Lorie Smith Case Changed Everything
But the impact went way beyond one park.
The Lassiter family became advocates for better safety. They lobbied for the "V-Free" loophole to be closed. Basically, the federal government (the Consumer Product Safety Commission) has the power to regulate "mobile" rides—the kind you see at carnivals—but they have zero authority over "fixed" rides in permanent theme parks. That is still largely handled at the state level.
The Settlement
In 2008, the family reached a confidential settlement with Six Flags. While the dollar amount was never made public, the park agreed to provide "lifetime care" for Kaitlyn.
Is Kentucky Kingdom Safe Now?
It’s a different world at the park today. Six Flags eventually walked away from the Louisville location in 2010. The park sat dormant and rotting for years before it was rescued, renovated, and reopened as just "Kentucky Kingdom" in 2014. It is now owned by Herschend Family Entertainment—the same people who run Dollywood and Silver Dollar City.
Safety protocols in 2026 are lightyears ahead of where they were in 2007.
- Non-Destructive Testing (NDT): Parks now use X-rays and ultrasound to find "hidden" cracks in metal that the human eye can't see.
- Redundant Systems: Modern drop towers use multiple backup cables and magnetic braking systems that don't require power to work.
- Enhanced Training: Operators are now trained with "muscle memory" drills to hit the E-Stop the second a noise sounds out of place.
Actionable Advice for Theme Park Guests
You shouldn't be afraid to go to theme parks, but you should be an "active" rider. It sounds weird, but being aware can save your life.
- Listen and Look: If you see a cable fraying or hear a rhythmic "clanking" that doesn't sound right, tell an operator. Don't worry about being "that person."
- Report the "Little" Things: If your harness feels loose or a sensor is acting up, speak up before the ride starts.
- Check the Permit: Most states require a safety inspection sticker to be visible near the ride entrance or the park's guest services. If it’s expired, don't ride.
- Follow Restraint Rules: If the ride says "keep hands and feet inside," do it. In the Kentucky Kingdom case, the rider couldn't have avoided the cable, but many other accidents happen because people try to reach out or loosen their own belts.
The tragedy of the Superman: Tower of Power wasn't just a mechanical failure. It was a failure of the system. Today, Kaitlyn Lassiter’s story serves as the somber foundation for the strict safety regulations that keep millions of other riders safe every summer.
To stay informed on current safety ratings, you can check the Saferparks Database, a non-profit that tracks ride incidents across the country to give consumers a transparent look at park safety records.