UM-Bot Posted November 19, 2018 #1 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Nightmare became reality for six passengers last week when their elevator plummeted towards the ground. https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/323447/horror-as-chicago-elevator-plunges-80-floors 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllPossible Posted November 19, 2018 #2 Share Posted November 19, 2018 (edited) "We were going down and then I felt that we were falling down and then I heard a noise - clack clack clack clack clack clack." Those were just stray bullets from chicagos gang violence Edited November 19, 2018 by AllPossible 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted November 19, 2018 #3 Share Posted November 19, 2018 The article doesn’t address if the braking mechanism worked as intended or not? Does anyone know? Don’t have time to look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Wearer of Hats Posted November 19, 2018 #4 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Ruddy Hell.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echoes Posted November 19, 2018 #5 Share Posted November 19, 2018 I'll take the stairs... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiff Posted November 19, 2018 #6 Share Posted November 19, 2018 This is wrong on so many levels. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittens Are Jerks Posted November 19, 2018 #7 Share Posted November 19, 2018 18 minutes ago, Timothy said: The article doesn’t address if the braking mechanism worked as intended or not? Does anyone know? Don’t have time to look. The article doesn't get into those specifics, apart from stating that although one lift cable snapped, the others did not, thus preventing the elevator from hitting the ground. But a drop of 80 floors is insane. The braking/safety mechanisms should have kicked in long before then. But it's hard to say for certain without knowing more about the elevators. The elevators, by the way, are among the top fastest in the US. They must have smashed that record when they dropped the other day. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aztek Posted November 19, 2018 #8 Share Posted November 19, 2018 brakes only engage if elevator starts going too fast, every elevator made in last 100 years has that, some do it purely mechanically, using centrifugal force, others are electronic 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stiff Posted November 19, 2018 #9 Share Posted November 19, 2018 I have an occasional fear of elevators due to being stuck in one several times as a small child in the maisonettes that we lived in. I read up on them a while back now to see what safety devices are used purely to give me some confidence when using them and I remember there being several designs but the main type used nowadays have secondary fail safe systems and work on some kind of a ratchet system(?) so that it would be nigh on impossible for one to reach the ground from any real height. To be fair, how often do you hear of anyone dying in an elevator failure? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted November 19, 2018 #10 Share Posted November 19, 2018 17 minutes ago, Kittens Are Jerks said: The article doesn't get into those specifics, apart from stating that although one lift cable snapped, the others did not, thus preventing the elevator from hitting the ground. But a drop of 80 floors is insane. The braking/safety mechanisms should have kicked in long before then. But it's hard to say for certain without knowing more about the elevators. The elevators, by the way, are among the top fastest in the US. They must have smashed that record when they dropped the other day. It just says that that they ‘plunged’ or ‘plummeted’. No injuries. To me it feels akin to moderate turbulence in a passenger aircraft. Some might comment on it, but others don’t care as they know it’s operationally normal. Is there any more information on what actually happened? In this day and age of social media, I’d generall expect a bit more if it were a major event. That they had to be cut out because it stopped on a not readily accessible floor is a different matter. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted November 19, 2018 #11 Share Posted November 19, 2018 "Should've worn the brown pants." 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nnicolette Posted November 19, 2018 #12 Share Posted November 19, 2018 You know a lot of people pay quite a bit to ride on the drop zone! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetoroam Posted November 19, 2018 #13 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Quote An elevator inside Chicago's former Hancock building dropped 84 floors before trapping six people inside, --- Firefighters arrived to make a rescue, eventually locating the car near the 11th floor and cutting an opening in a concrete wall, https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/2056499002 The above article says 84. Anyway, 84 + 11 (where they stopped) = 95, now as the other hoist ropes managed to bring it to a halt a mere 11 floors from the bottom, can you imagine if it had happened 11 or more floors down. No one went to the hospital, but i would have insisted they take me to the nearest underwear store and pay for some new knickers. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittens Are Jerks Posted November 19, 2018 #14 Share Posted November 19, 2018 28 minutes ago, Timothy said: To me it feels akin to moderate turbulence in a passenger aircraft I've been in an elevator that dropped about 10 floors. I felt queasy and dizzy for a good 20 minutes afterwards. I probably would have lost my lunch at 80 floors. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted November 19, 2018 #15 Share Posted November 19, 2018 9 minutes ago, Kittens Are Jerks said: I've been in an elevator that dropped about 10 floors. I felt queasy and dizzy for a good 20 minutes afterwards. I probably would have lost my lunch at 80 floors. Tis scary stuff. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone! I like to know that I’m in for a ride before the fact too! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aztek Posted November 19, 2018 #16 Share Posted November 19, 2018 we used to have a freight elevator guy in one of our buildings who could drop a freight elevator like that fast, i used to ask him to do so every time i was taking a freight down, once you get used to it it is fun. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted November 20, 2018 #17 Share Posted November 20, 2018 1 hour ago, aztek said: we used to have a freight elevator guy in one of our buildings who could drop a freight elevator like that fast, i used to ask him to do so every time i was taking a freight down, once you get used to it it is fun. You really have to trust in the safety mechanism for that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawken Posted November 20, 2018 #18 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I bet those people won't be going on any carnival rides any time soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted November 20, 2018 #19 Share Posted November 20, 2018 3 hours ago, Hawken said: I bet those people won't be going on any carnival rides any time soon. Hope they didn’t have any trips booked! Might have to change the itinerary... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freetoroam Posted November 20, 2018 #20 Share Posted November 20, 2018 16 hours ago, Kittens Are Jerks said: I've been in an elevator that dropped about 10 floors. I felt queasy and dizzy for a good 20 minutes afterwards. I probably would have lost my lunch at 80 floors. On this note and the article, maybe warning signs should be put in all elevators on such tall buildings, And this is a no no....24 hours prior to entering the lift 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFOwatcher Posted November 20, 2018 #21 Share Posted November 20, 2018 " a hoist rope broke " A ROPE? and not a steal cable? Also sounds like all the safety features did not work (like breaks). There may be more to this story than presented. No elevator should be able to drop 80 floors! Where's old man Otis when you need him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aztek Posted November 20, 2018 #22 Share Posted November 20, 2018 (edited) Just now, UFOwatcher said: " a hoist rope broke " A ROPE? and not a steal cable? Also sounds like all the safety features did not work (like breaks). There may be more to this story than presented. No elevator should be able to drop 80 floors! Where's old man Otis when you need him. it is, you are reading an article written by a reporter, not a mechanic, yes brakes worked, or they would be hamburgers, brakes only kick in when it drops too fast, 1 cable malfunction will not always cause sudden drop. Edited November 20, 2018 by aztek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rashore Posted November 20, 2018 #23 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Ugh, those elevators made me queasy even when working properly. They were on an express elevator from the restaurant on the 95th floor- it's an elevator that does not have stops at every floor, that's why when it got stuck at the 11th floor access had to be punched from the parking garage side. And yes, hoist ropes are made of steel cable in this building. It passed it's July inspection. Since this happened, two other elevators in the building were closed to check them, and folks using the building are doing so via service elevators at the moment. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerBright19 Posted November 21, 2018 #24 Share Posted November 21, 2018 (edited) Went up a fast elevator in the Empire State building in 2003. Floor numbers ticked upwards real fast and my nose started to bleed. Wasn't sure if the speed or the altitude had caused it. Edited November 21, 2018 by Aaron2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbondo Posted November 21, 2018 #25 Share Posted November 21, 2018 My wife works in the (former) Hancock. They changed the name to an address...I guess to make it more appealing to no one, Anyway, she'll be going down there Saturday. I'll tell her to see if the guy at the lobby desk knows anything not in the "official" report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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