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Matt Kryger / The Star via AP file
The overhead stage rigging collapses into the crowd in front of the stage at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand at the Indiana State Fair. The collapse occurred before Sugarland took the stage.
Wind-toppled stage rigging that collapsed on fans waiting for the band Sugarland to perform at the Indiana State Fair last summer, killing seven and injuring dozens, was not strong enough to meet state building codes, according to a report issued Thursday.
A separate report released Thursday also blamed inadequate emergency preparedness and “an ambiguity of authority” for resulting confusion and uncertainty as officials discussed possibly postponing the concert just before wind gusts blew over the rigging, NBC station WTHR reported.
Indiana State Fair Commission Chairman Andre Lacy said that the fair’s executive director Cindy Hoye, who the commission said can keep her job, wanted to delay the concert but Sugarland representatives resisted, the Indianapolis Star reported. Lacy quoted a band representative as saying, "It’s only rain; we can play," the newspaper reported.
The fair commission ordered the stage structure and emergency-preparedness reports after the Aug. 13 accident and held a hearing on them Thursday, when they were released.
Scott Nacheman, of the New York-based engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, told the commission that the stage’s metal rigging structure did not meet requirements that it withstand wind gusts of 68 mph. Gusts reached an estimated 59 mph when the rigging collapsed, he said.
Charlie Fisher of Washington, D.C.-based Witt Associates said the fair's overall state of preparedness was not adequate for an event of its size and scope. The emergency response plan and procedures were not fully developed, and the plans weren't used ahead of the collapse, he said, according to local media reports.
Witt Associates interviewed over 100 people in its investigation.
Mid America Sound, which was responsible for building the stage, was a major exception.
Although the tour manager for Sugarland spoke to Witt Associates, their stage manager did not. "We had access to a limited number of the Local 30 personnel," Fisher said.
An unexpectedly strong storm rolled in during the fair, blowing down the stage rigging just before country duo Sugarland was to perform at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Sugarland and companies involved with building the stage. Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration in February issued $80,000 in fines, citing lack of emergency preparation and a failure to adequately build and inspect the stage rigging.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said Thursday he will share with other states the findings of reports analyzing the causes and response to the stage collapse. Indiana will host a national meeting on safety standards for outdoor temporary structures later this month in Indianapolis.
The Fair Commission, following recommendations in the new reports, said it will hire a chief operations officer to oversee public safety.
Also Thursday, Sugarland issued a statement denying that they're trying to avoid questions about the collapse, WTHR reported.
Performers Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush issued the statement shortly before Nettles was scheduled to give a deposition in Charleston, W. Va., in response to lawsuits arising from the accident. Sugarland spokesman Allan Meyer said Bush is scheduled to give his deposition Friday. The Sugarland statement:
"In all the back-and-forth between the lawyers, the suggestion's been made that we've somehow been trying to avoid having to answer questions about last summer's terrible tragedy. This is simply not true. There is no one who wants to get to the bottom of what happened more than we do, which is why we're ready, willing, and able to give these depositions today and tomorrow. The judge has put limits on what can be discussed, but within those limits, we intend to be as honest and open as we can. We want all the facts to come out, not only for the sake of all the victims and their loved ones, but also so we can make sure that nothing like this ever happens again."
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Leave a Comment:
Sue Sugarland for everything they're worth.
They made such a big deal in the press afterwards about how they were "spared" from the storm by forming a back-stage prayer circle, but apparently didn't care enough about their fans to pray for them too.
Typical religious hypocrites.
I disagree with you so much. I know you have the right to say what you wish but your not right. Sugarland is amazing to their fans. They feel bad about what happened that night. It could have happened to anyone at any time. It was an act of God.
So if it was an "act of god", why did fans die, and Sugarland survive?
Kind of a crappy god, if you ask me?
No one asked you atheist. Stick to what you know, We know, that's not much, but still.
Suing isn't going to bring back the lives that were lost.
Substandard rigging isn't an act of God. It's called negligence which resulted in wrongful death. Refusing to postpone the start of an outdoor concert in light of approaching bad weather isn't an act of God. It's called poor judgment - which may have contributed to cause wrongful death.
Generally speaking, people typically don't get crushed to death at a concert absent human error.
It might not bring back their lives, but it might help the families who lost members pick up the pieces and deal with loss.
While there is clearly an emotional loss, the death of a family member has a significant impact on the family too. For example, if you lost your spouse, you might need additional help to replace the lost income and the role he/she plays in your family. I'd also need to take time off to heal. How would the bills get paid.
Might as well sue mother nature!! But i feel the officials should had set that warning a severe storm was coming to clear out the fans and make it mandatory.I live in Ohio and watched the storm on weather radar and could see the severity in the storm.. Who can put up something temporary to withstand high gusts of winds when it is not really expected? If it was permanent i could see codes being set for it and fines given.
Soooo....somehow the 'government' gets 80K for not enforcing it's own rules??? Blood money by an ever controlling, cold and greedy dollar black hole. SHAME
Why wouldn't there be a signed and sealed engineering calculation submitted for permitting a stage of this size? These are fairly simple to design to withstand lateral loads. I believe the permitting agency is responsible if they did not demand the correct credentials and documentation. ASCE 7 publishes all the load requirements, and basic beam truss and cantinary statics and mechanics of materials, (+ a competent engineer) is all that is needed. All too often contractors try to make shortcuts and city planning doesn't require stamped documentation for submittals. 4 year structural engineering degrees and proper submittal procedures is why this doesn't happen more often.
So then why do people keep blaming Sugarland for what happened. I have been to many Sugarland concerts over the years and if you look on the back of your ticket it says "at your own risk" So if you were there and ou noticed the weather was bad and you thought you should have not been there you should have left. You cant blame people for something they could not control. Its true trying to get money will not bring back the ones that lost their lives.
And people want to gripe about regulations. Not built to code. I know in the area I live in, a guy had a gas station with words on the pumps complaining about taxes with an alien space craft on top of the building. The local officials told him, the alien figures on the space craft were hadn't been inspected and he ranted in the paper about regulations. Then one of the alien figures fell off and landed on one of his customers cars damaging it.
And?, That's why you carry business insurance, dunce. Regulations have nothing to do with it.
Speaking of business and just to piss off all the lefties out there. I just closed on a Gun Shop in Center Point, Oregon. One of my son's is going to run it for me so I now have shops in four states. Ha-ha!!! My son's earn a good living and when I die, they get the ship the run. Has nothing to do with the article, but, any opportunity to chap off the anti-gun freaks.
You're struggling with basic grammar and pissing people off was your highest priority today? Perhaps you should have invested in an English Composition course. The plural of son is “sons.” Head down to B&N tomorrow and purchase a few grammar books for yours “son’s” so they won’t end up writing like the man they’ve been told is their daddy.
Hey, dunce. I guess it is ok if it only landed on a car. How about if it were a person? There are reasons for rules. Insurance money won't bring the person back.
hey Nic- this leftie loves guns and the 2nd Amendment, so your gun shops don't bother me, and I bet you don't sell guns outside the law (regulations). Even if there were no regulations selling to kooks who might come back to rob you creates its own kinda common sense regulation. On the other point, this has EVERYTHING to do with regulations, because having business insurance won't bring someone back, but strong code enforcement can prevent a death. This is why I hate to see non-union construction of anything over a 1 story building, or anything at all to do with electrical.
You are right Kurt, this is about the need for regulations because some in the for-profit world will cut important corners to save money and place others at risk of harm. I have close ties to union construction and would always choose a union built structure over a non-union one in good weather and especially in a storm!
Yak - A structure (especially one that has been used before) that is structurally marginal to the elements against it won't care if a union or non union member built it.
Competancy is an individual thing not related to whether one has a union card or not.
Let me tell you all about codes and building departments. The cities and counties that permit special events such as this have leaders who do not support their building departments enough to allow their inspectors to perform their jobs properly. This is widely because these big events bring in a lot of revenue and the organizers have a lot of pull. This structure could have been set up properly, designed for the wind load by a competent engineering firm, inspected by the building department or a special inspector if the building department did not have an inspector certified to perform this inspection. The lack of proper installations of temporary structures is rampant across the country and until the climate changes that safety of the public is primary, we are going to continue to see this happen. There have been several smaller accidents in my area that would never make the news, but injury has occurred because of city leaders, event organizers, and even the public who believes until an accident occurs that government has no business telling them what to do, largely because of the money and tourism they are bringing in. Their local office of emergency management should have also called this event off or at least for a delay with that type of weather moving in. My hope is that the entire country look at this tragedy as well as others from the past and learn what we can do to better avoid future accidents big or small. God bless the families and all who were caught up in this terrible accident. Al
Who is Sugarland?
Your "Right to work State" in action. I will bet union riggers did not work that job.
The entire structure was built by IATSE local 30- so yes union riggers did build it.
And government union inspectors inspected it ... or not.
Right to work passed long AFTER the union half-assed the construction job. Like the old saying goes "do the job right the first time, the job gets done. Doing it wrong 14 times means job security."
yes it is the stage company fault not the band. They should have to pay not the band. Also the stupid people who stayed have no one to blame but myself. Whenever there is bad weather at a festival I attend (New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival) they will not allow you on the grounds. One year, it was so bad with rain and lightening, they would not allow anyone on the grounds. I was stuck at a coffee house for an hour before they let us in.
We have a weather reporter there on the grounds since it is on the race track so it's not that much of a problem and you always know if something is going to happen.
Ouch, liberals hate it when facts get in the way of their agenda.
"Who built it, union, non-union, right-ro-work will make little or no difference. If the authority having jurisdiction issued a building permit based on an outdated building code, they and the design professionals will likely be held responsible. Regulations are indeed a critical factor in life-safety when building any structure.
Well, the GOP governor gutted the inspectors office of personal, so just what do you expect. Well will probably see more of that in the states where the Governor is a GOPer. And seeing it's a right to work state, those $8.00 per hr riggers did a real good job, didn't they?
Actually it was built by IATSE local 30, looks like those union thugs did a great job. I guess they were too busy collecting dues to send off to the democrat party.
You sound like you look.
SallyAnn didn't check her facts. Union goons did build the stage.
But they saved money using non-union.
The structure was built by IATSE local 30.
Lee,
Do some fact checking.
They also paid out less to a gay couple where one of them died.
I guess they don't agree with playing penis-butt.
What happened to the life on mars report?
The Martians complained....
So, Libertarians, and the all too familiar far Right formations such as the Tea Party; who seem to think a profit motivated company has a "conscience". This would be a third world country without the, yes, extensive regulations we have. They need to be more fine tuned, not eliminated.
The fair was owned by the State. The Stage was owned and operated by the state. The Stage was built by a union, as mandated by state rules. The State was the party which also owned and operated and regulated the inspectors that inspected the stage.
By all means, point out where 'fine tuning regulations' would help.
Awful nice of the state to limit it's liability to 5million dollars.
They could have made it 1 million...or 500k....kinda surprised they didn't...
Yeah really, where's the Mars article?
The Martians took it back to Mars!
Yeah! Where is the Mars article? I clicked on this expecting to find a totally different article. Instead I found a lame ass argument.
As as eye witness to this storm, and having enough sense to get out of the "rain" that was coming (not to mention the lightening way in the distance, the eerie accompanying clouds and winds)...it was completely clear that this was NOT going to be a little rain. AND, if you've been in IN during an upcoming storm, there's pretty good indication when it's going to be a rain or a full blown event. There was no reason for all of the people sitting and standing around and on METAL to subject themselves to the potential danger that was clearly heading their way, first layer of accountability is "self". Additionally, IN was not a "Right to Work" state at that time...so if the stage wasn't built to code, they should be second in line for accountability. Lastly, the weather people and and fair board should have put the right hats on instead of worrying about how to make a refund after a cancellation of the concert or whatever thought concerned them enough to not cancel or postpone the concert. The band should NOT have liability - they're there to entertain, period. If "their" lights randomly fell on someone under perfect conditions, sure, that's their fault...that was NOT the case.
As an owner of a mid-size touring sound company I can sure feel empathy for the Sound Company owners. To be honest, I've been in the same position as far as not having control once the event starts. That is usually 100% on the band... if they want to perform the show goes on.
As for part 2...that the stage and scaffolding wasn't built to code, outdoor one time events are not subject to specific building code, except for the specific labor (OSHA) rigging hardhats, safety harnesses, etc.
Very few people have enought knowledge of temporary rigging to step in and control what and how things are built. Look at the same type of collapse at Trump in Atlantic City a few years ago. The inspector was told to leave the premises if he wouldn't cooperate and that he was holding up the show. Hours later, the ceiling and the lighting rig collaped.
I also work a lot of event with 'local IASTE' and more than likely they were taking their orders from the owners/manqager of MidAmercia Sound. Unions rarely give direction or command that level of job description.
I wouldn't want to be the owner's of the sound and staging company as liability insurance is 'per incident' and this could wipe them out. If a jury can prove negligence, they could be personally liable, once the insurance runs out.
More than likely they also had the State, the State Fair and the Promoters added to their insurance as an 'added insured' specifically in case something like this happens. That would put the liability all of them, but with the courts, you never know. I'm sure the State will have to contribute and should where death is involved.
I assume a 'chain-of-command' will now be part of every show. We've only had them in military events, never private. The band will probably not be found liable, but the Sound Company will, and should be. There is never an excuse for poorly construted stage towers.
With sympathy to all those killed or hurt and their loved ones, this is an accident that could of, but rarely would of been stopped. You know the saying "The show must go on" -- in this business, unless the band hasn't been paid, the statement is true.
js
When structure like this are built, doesn't the local municipality do their inspections. I know that when I do work on my private home that I have to have an building inspector look the work over to ensure that I am following code.
All the research about the rigging; SugarLands questioning delay; I was in Avon when this storm passed over a family get together and it was extremely severe. This was 15 minutes before it hit the fairgrounds. The State Police have access to the weather alert system. A mere glance into the western skies told the facts. The State Police had 15 minutes to move people they were to protect into the Pepsi Coliseum. All this talk of this entity or that entity not wanting to give way does not hold creedence. Who carries the guns? Plenty of time existed to get the public to safety. I wholehardely regret to finally make this statement as I am a former law enforcement officer and highly respect law enforcement. The State Police have failed the citizens of Indiana and are the first on this disasteroous chopping block.
regardless of the structure which was used probably several times and seem to hold the band that was playing on it or the code of a missing bolt or size or what ever....i just say it was an act alright that i leave at that but would discuss with anyone at MSNBC with if they want my opoinion thats if they might already know.....The code didnt destroy the stage and wouldnt have help in either way to what it may have been also....More later World (The truth of this World ) ...... Beyond evil is putting in nice way....Call me or email me......
State Police had the ultimate authority and time span to effect an action. They failed the citizens of Indiana and the poor victims. The State Police have weather monitors in the State Police Control Center and saw the hazards impending. I was in Avon and this same storm passed over with very severe effects. 15 minutes later it arrived in the Fairgrounds area. So much emphasis is being placed onSugarlands delay and the Rigging Contractor. The bottom line is The State Police carried the guns and held the supreme authority to quell this impending disaster.
thats bull crap sugarland is trying to get out of it,i use to work for a place where they played ,they think they are better than everyone else
thank you msnbc and for the lives lost may they rest in peace.....more later world....
And the band has been blaming their "fans." Sugarland has never impressed me as musicians, now they have revealed themselves to be sub-human.
Thats bull crap Sugarland is only trying to get out of it,i use to work at a place where they were playing was back stage ,they were not friendly at all and thought they were better than everyone else
Thats why they should use IATSE stage hands thats what we do for a liviving!! Union help is safer for all involved!! I know we cost more but we have the know how and the how to! Ground suport is what I think was lacking! Was not there, but if IATSE hands where the ball was dropped!!
IATSE local 30 built the stage, you tool.
why are they suing the band? how is a badly built stage in any way the band's fault? it's the fault of the people who actually built it O_O
some one wants to sue some one sue mother nature . The band sure did not set up that stage . Aint worth any show to sit out in a oncomming storm .
8 Busload arrived next day from Arkansas to file injury claim from the collapse. More comming from New York for the SMELL OF MONEY :))
"Tragically, none of the band members were harmed..."
heh, heh
Arn't they sorry they did not pay the liability insurance premium.