COTALAND's Circuit Breaker roller coaster malfunctions 2 days in a row

AUSTIN, Texas - Riders at COTALAND got quite the unexpected ride over the weekend.

During the amusement park’s opening day, multiple people were on board a roller coaster when it came to a halt. 

According to park officials, 19 people were riding the Circuit Breaker when it "experienced an unplanned stop."

COTALAND Circuit Breaker malfunction

What they're saying:

"I had already ridden it about like 18 times, but this visit was obviously pretty different," says Nicholas Thomas, who happened to be recording as he rode in the Circuit Breaker’s front seat on Saturday. 

He’s no stranger to the roller coaster, which first started operating in October 2025. Towering at over 130 feet, the ride is defined by its 90-degree vertical drop, but that’s where everything came to a stop.

Video captured by Thomas showed the ride approaching the drop. Once the vehicle carrying the passengers reached its vertical tilt position, nothing happened.

"I'll never forget it. As soon as that happened and the music started playing, I was like, ‘Uh-oh. This has taken a little longer,’" said Thomas.

COTALAND says riders were stuck in vertical tilt for around nine minutes before they were able to return the ride vehicle to a horizontal position. Ride assistants then made their way to passengers to support them in exiting. 

On Thomas’s video, one COTA employee could be heard telling him, ""We’re going to move you guys one by one. We’re going to get as close to the rail as possible, and then we’re going to all walk down together."

In a single file line, riders could be seen holding onto the rail as they made a slow descent down the ride’s stairs.

"The COTA officials did an amazing job keeping everybody calm, getting us down, talking us through everything," says Thomas. "They were very good at just keeping everybody nice, calm, cool, and collected."

No injuries were reported, and no medical treatment was required. 

But even after experiencing a stoppage first hand, Thomas says it hasn’t deterred him from COTALAND or placing his trust in Circuit Breaker, as he wore a shirt bearing an image of the roller coaster. "Of course, I'm repping the shirt because even though this happened, I still love that ride."

Dig deeper:

However, park officials did confirm the Circuit Breaker experienced another operational stop the following day while riders were on board. In this instance, COTALAND says the ride vehicle was returned to its horizontal position after two minutes and riders exited normally.

In a statement, COTALAND said that the Circuit Breaker has "numerous sensors and safety systems that continuously monitor operating conditions." If those conditions aren’t met, the roller coaster system may automatically stop the ride rather than allow it to continue. The amusement park goes on to say that, "Occasional operational stops are a normal part of operating sophisticated amusement rides."

Lawsuit filed due to Circuit Breaker malfunction

Big picture view:

This wouldn’t be the first time the Circuit Breaker has experienced operational issues. In December 2025, two people were riding the roller coaster when the ride malfunctioned, leaving the passengers stuck 130 feet in the air for about an hour.

The incident is now at the center of a $1 million lawsuit that was filed in May against COTALAND. 

COTA representatives attributed the incident to a sensor pin malfunction, disrupting communication between the mechanical and computerized systems.

COTALAND responds to Circuit Breaker incidents

What they're saying:

COTALAND’s full statement can be read below:

"On Saturday, Circuit Breaker experienced an unplanned stop while 19 riders were onboard. The ride stopped while the vehicle was in its vertical tilt position, where riders remained safely secured in their seats for approximately nine minutes. The vehicle was then returned to a horizontal position, and ride attendants assisted guests in exiting. No injuries occurred, and no medical treatment was required.

Circuit Breaker experienced another operational stop on Sunday while riders were onboard. Riders remained safely secured throughout the delay. The ride vehicle returned to its normal horizontal position in approximately two minutes, and guests exited normally. No injuries occurred, and no medical treatment was required.

Circuit Breaker, like modern roller coasters and other major thrill rides, has numerous sensors and safety systems that continuously monitor operating conditions. If a required condition is not satisfied, the system may automatically stop the ride rather than allow it to continue. When that happens, riders remain safely secured while attendants follow established procedures, complete the necessary checks and verification cycles, and return the ride to service once those checks are satisfied.

Occasional operational stops are a normal part of operating sophisticated amusement rides. Our goal is to complete the necessary checks efficiently, minimize the inconvenience to our guests, and get everyone back to enjoying their day at COTALAND."