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Kingda Ka is an Intamin AG launched sit-down roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey.[1] It is the tallest and second fastest roller coaster in the world, claiming the titles from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. The ride was the fifth Intamin Accelerator Coaster built when it opened in late 2005. It will hold the claim as the world's tallest roller coaster until a new Polercoaster opens in Florida. However, Kingda Ka will still have the world's tallest standalone roller coaster structure.
Experience
One of Kingda Ka's four trains advance out of the station after it is locked and checked. Next, it'll pass through the switch track and on to the hydraulic launch track.
Incidents
The ride has a number of incidents, although they were all minor.
One was in June 2005, just months after the ride opened, when a bolt on the main hill came loose, causing the cart to go the incorrect speed, which then prevented the ride to be completed fully. The hill was redone after a brief closure.
In May 2009, lightning hit the main hill, damaging it. The hill had to be repaired after a two month closure, and it was then reopened in August.
Occasionally, the ride might suffer a rollback, which is when the cart doesn't fully go over the main hill, and instead, goes back down the hill. This is common, and it always happens on Intamin rollercoasters. The cart has been designed with magnetic brakes, so it can rollback safely, and be launched again.
In August 2011, Hurricane Irene hit New Jersey, and caused unspecific damage on the main hill and the other rollercoasters around it. The theme park was closed before the hurricane approached. The ride was repaired after a year of closure.
World records
Kingda Ka is the tallest roller coaster in the world, and is the second fastest roller coaster in the world, just behind Formula Rossa. Kingda Ka took the title as world's tallest and fastest rollercoaster from Top Thrill Dragster in 2005. It had the title of fastest rollercoaster in the world taken from it in 2010 by Formula Rossa. The ride is still the fastest in the Americas. Even though Kingda Ka is known for being the tallest roller coaster in the world, Top Thrill Dragster broke the record first.