Study Shows Collapsed Stage At Indiana State Fair Wasn't Up To Code

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Apr 13, 2012 10:00PM

A report on the Indiana State Fair stage collapse that killed seven has been released, showing the stage rigging wasn't built up to industry standards. To make matters worse, there was no emergency plan in place for organizers to deal with the storm that caused the rigging to collapse, injuring 58 people. The Tribune writes:

Fair organizers were not legally required to have the stage inspected because it was a temporary structure, Thornton Tomasetti reported. But company vice president Scott Nacheman told the commission that the metal rigging structure used to support speakers and lighting didn't meet industry safety standards, which would require it to be able to withstand wind gusts of 68 mph.

Gusts reached an estimated 59 mph when the rigging collapsed, he said.

The company determined that parts of the rigging's support system began to give way at gusts of 33 mph and that by the time they reached 43 mph, the structure could no longer support itself. Testing showed gusts of 25 mph could have caused the structure to collapse.

Two members of the band Sugarland have been ordered to submit testimony by Tuesday, April 17, so the victims' lawsuits against Mid-America Sound Corp., the company that built the stage roof and rigging may proceed. Parties involved have been playing the blame game for months, pointing fingers at the State Fair Board, the Local 30 stage union, local weatherman Paul Poteet and the National Weather Service, among others.