Famous, nearly 100-year-old Coney Island roller coaster shut down after malfunction

A near-century-old iconic Coney Island roller coaster in New York City was shut down indefinitely after malfunctioning during a ride on Thursday.

Operators shut down the Cyclone, Luna Park's 97-year-old wooden roller coaster, as it was climbing up to its famed drop because of a damaged chain sprocket in the motor room, according to the Associated Press.

After stopping the ride, several people were removed from the roller coaster without injury, New York City’s Department of Buildings said.

Inspectors from the department went to the ride's location on Friday and issued violations to Luna Park's owners for damaged equipment and failing to immediately notify them about the incident.

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The Cyclone (Joan Slatkin/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/File)

"At Luna Park in Coney Island, safety is our number one priority and ride maintenance, and thorough testing happens daily before Luna Park opens and throughout the day as necessary," Luna Park officials wrote on the park's website. "The Coney Island Cyclone is a 97-year-old roller coaster that is meticulously maintained and tested daily. NYC’s Department of Buildings (DOB) inspected and cleared the ride to open on August 21, 2024."

The post continued by saying the Cyclone is temporarily closed because of the mechanical problem that developed on Thursday, adding it is currently undergoing repairs.

"We will reopen the Cyclone roller coaster when the repair is complete and the ride passes its DOB inspection," the park said.

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The Coney Island Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, New York City, circa 1952. (Bob Henriques/Pix/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Built in 1927, the Cyclone has survived natural disasters, park closures, the rapid development of a city and numerous other threats to its existence. It is one of the oldest roller coasters still operating in the U.S.

The Cyclone is recognized as significant, not only by roller-coaster enthusiasts but by state and national authorities. In fact, the American Coaster Enthusiasts designated the Cyclone as an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" on June 2, 2002, according to its website. 

This designation is given to "rides of historical significance," it said.

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People ride the Cyclone at Coney Island on May 31, 2021, in New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

In 1988, New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Cyclone as a landmark, stating that the ride is "often cited as one of our country's best designed roller coasters" and was one of fewer than 100 wood-track roller coasters remaining in the U.S.

Three years later, the National Register of Historic Places added the "Cyclone Roller Coaster" to its database. It is one of just five roller coasters to have earned this honor.

"The Cyclone Roller Coaster still conveys the excitement of the coasters once so prevalent at Coney Island; it remains a rare, significant survivor of the earlier era," the National Register of Historic Places said.

The ride itself has a drop of 85 feet, a length of 2,640 feet and a top speed of 60 mph, and it is not too different from how it was when it first opened.

In 1939, 12 years after its opening, renovations to the Cyclone shortened the first drop by five feet, and "some of the coaster's curves were realigned at that time to provide a quicker, more jolting, ride," the National Register of Historic Places said. 

Fox News' Christine Rousselle and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

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