Minnesota State Fair Ride Malfunctions Again

A ride at the Minnesota State Fair malfunctioned again, a day after stranding 24 people about 100 feet off the ground for 40 minutes.

Fair spokeswoman Lara Hughes tells the Star Tribune the Stratosphere unexpectedly stopped Friday with people aboard. It lasted until about noon and was about the same duration as Thursday’s glitch. She had no other details it.

The Stratosphere looks like a tall tower, with swings hanging from branch-like extensions. The seats go up and down while the tower spins.

Another fair spokeswoman, Brienna Schuette, said Thursday’s malfunction happened after a safety lock failed to work correctly as the tower descended, triggering the safety mechanism to stop the ride.

Schuette said the problem was corrected, two inspectors examined the ride and it was reopened.