# Resolution of the investigation and restoration of "Battle" to Ka



## gafftaper (Feb 1, 2015)

The climactic battle scene, which had a tragic accident in 2013, has now been put back into Cirque Du Soleil Ka. This month's Stage Directions has a great article about what caused the accident, and the steps they have taken to make the scene safer. Read on here.


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## What Rigger? (Feb 5, 2015)

Mailing that off to....everybody!


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## ruinexplorer (Feb 12, 2015)

Found another in depth interview which may answer a couple questions that the other doesn't. http://m.lvsun.com/vegasdeluxe/2014/dec/07/cirque-exec-discusses-reintroduced-epic-battle-sce/


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## What Rigger? (Feb 12, 2015)

They're back. Big time. This makes my heavy metal heart happy for all the Ka brothers and sisters out there. Coming back from this was not easy from a policy and procedure standpoint, rigging, technology, management, perform standpoint either...or any other thing I left out. 

And I just know that this video doesn't even convey the gravitas of walking back into that room to bring this back. Bravo, you glorious mofos!


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## gafftaper (Feb 12, 2015)

What Rigger? said:


> They're back. Big time. This makes my heavy metal heart happy for all the Ka brothers and sisters out there. Coming back from this was not easy from a policy and procedure standpoint, rigging, technology, management, perform standpoint either...or any other thing I left out. And I just know that this video doesn't even convey the gravitas of walking back into that room to bring this back. Bravo, you glorious mofos!




Well said my friend. It's truly amazing that they've had the strength, courage, and dedication to find a way to bring it back. But more than that they've made it just as cool as it was before, while also making it significantly safer. I can't wait to see it!


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## Footer (Feb 12, 2015)

The Stage Directions article mentioned that there was no load sensing on the hoist, the Sun article mentioned that the hoist didn't have time to sense what happened. Which is it? Really amazes me that they would build this type of rig and not put a load cell on it/on the hoist drum/frame. This is standard practice on every automated lineset out there.... if the load changes beyond the expected dynamic load, the cable becomes slack, or whatever else happens the whole system locks up. 

Glad it is back, glad they took a step back and really looked at the situation. Hopefully they are using the same accounting/auditing procedures on all their shows.


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## robartsd (Feb 12, 2015)

Footer said:


> The Stage Directions article mentioned that there was no load sensing on the hoist, the Sun article mentioned that the hoist didn't have time to sense what happened. Which is it?


Both articles mentioned sensing extra load and lost load conditions when discussing the potential for actors coliding. I don't recall if that was in referrence to the redesigned system only or both systems.


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## TheaterEd (Feb 12, 2015)

From Stage Directions:
The winch had a no-load protector on it that, had it seen that force, would have shut the winch down. In this instance, though, what happened was that final pulley wheel collapsed forward. As it collapsed forward it allowed the cable to jump out of the wheel and find the sharp edge of the pinch point where that equipment had collapsed. The edge cut the cable and Guillot-Guyard fell.
From the Sun:
*Why didn’t the computer system catch that?*
Because it never saw it. Basically it was through the pulley wheel before it goes down to the winch. 

To me it sounds like there was a no-load sensor at the winch, but the pulley failed before the shock got to it. Once the pulley failed the cable jumped out, "found a sharp edge" and was cut.


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## What Rigger? (Feb 13, 2015)

Footer said:


> The Stage Directions article mentioned that there was no load sensing on the hoist, the Sun article mentioned that the hoist didn't have time to sense what happened. Which is it? Really amazes me that they would build this type of rig and not put a load cell on it/on the hoist drum/frame. This is standard practice on every automated lineset out there.... if the load changes beyond the expected dynamic load, the cable becomes slack, or whatever else happens the whole system locks up.
> 
> Glad it is back, glad they took a step back and really looked at the situation. Hopefully they are using the same accounting/auditing procedures on all their shows.



Oh dude, don't believe the Sun. Lousy paper.


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## Les (Feb 13, 2015)

What Rigger? said:


> Oh dude, don't believe the Sun. Lousy paper.



That journalist really pitched the safety net/airbag idea. 

Better to treat the disease than the symptom.


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## gafftaper (Feb 13, 2015)

TheaterEd said:


> *Why didn’t the computer system catch that? *Because it never saw it. Basically it was through the pulley wheel before it goes down to the winch. To me it sounds like there was a no-load sensor at the winch, but the pulley failed before the shock got to it. Once the pulley failed the cable jumped out, "found a sharp edge" and was cut.



You got it @TheaterEd. I have confirmed with a reliable source that the failure of that pulley wheel happened so quickly followed nearly instantly by the cut of the cable, that the load sensor never saw the force.

@What Rigger? Believe it or not, the Sun actually got this one right.


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## Footer (Feb 13, 2015)

gafftaper said:


> You got it @TheaterEd. I have confirmed with a reliable source that the failure of that pulley wheel happened so quickly followed nearly instantly by the cut of the cable, that the load sensor never saw the force.
> 
> @What Rigger? Believe it or not, the Sun actually got this one right.



So stage directions got this one wrong... really wrong? Our industry rag can't even report on itself. Kind of sad really.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Feb 13, 2015)

Kyle - are you crossing up a "no-load sensor" that detects if there is a load with "no load sensor" suggesting there isn't one? A apologize if I'm missing something but I don't see a discrepancy. Possibly there is some less than stellar editing.


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## Footer (Feb 13, 2015)

BillConnerASTC said:


> Kyle - are you crossing up a "no-load sensor" that detects if there is a load with "no load sensor" suggesting there isn't one? A apologize if I'm missing something but I don't see a discrepancy. Possibly there is some less than stellar editing.



Yup, you are right. My wrong here. Weird editing as well.


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## ruinexplorer (Feb 13, 2015)

I felt that the stage directions article was poorly written/edited. Then again, they have never been the top of my reading list, especially for accuracy.


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