Dramatic moment man crashes rocket sled at 241mph during speed record attempt over a frozen lake – and walks away unscathed vowing to try again
- Kurt Anderson blasted across Manawa Snodeo on Bear Lake, Wisconsin Sunday
- His Arctic Arrow reached 241mph in seconds then spun out of control and flipped upside down
- One shocked spectator is heard gasping in a video clip: ‘Is he alive?’
- Anderson didn’t beat the 247.93mph record set by the late Sammy Miller in New York February 1981 but he will try again
- However the sport is costly as they turn hydrogen peroxide into high-pressured steam, instead of burning fuel
- He said: ‘I’m lucky I walked away from that wreck, some of my racing friends have not been so lucky’
This is the dramatic moment a Minnesota crashed a rocket sled that reached 241mph in seconds during a Guinness World Record attempt – and walked away unscathed.
In a video from Sunday, Kurt Anderson is seen blasting off in his Arctic Arrow across the Manawa Snodeo on a frozen Bear Lake, Wisconsin.
But in an anxiety-inducing moment the yellow vehicle spins out of control and flips upside down, prompting one shocked spectator to gasp: ‘Is he alive?’
He tried to smash the 247.93mph record set by the late Sammy Miller in February 1981 at Lake George, New York.
Kurt Anderson walked away unscathed after he crashed a rocket sled that reached 241mph in seconds on Sunday
Anderson began on the right track (left) but he soon went off course (right)
He was attempting to break a 39-year world record in his Arctic Arrow in Wisconsin
Anderson failed to break the record but managed to come out of the incident uninjured thanks to safety preparations.
He previously said he wanted to achieve the maximum G-force of a fighter pilot – usually a gravitational force of 8 or 9. Fighter pilots wear G-suits that restrict blood flow in the lower body to keep blood in the upper portion.
In January, Anderson told Fox 11 he was aiming for a 9 and had ‘counter measures so that I don’t black out’.
‘My arms are tethered so that if something happened they wouldn’t fly out of the car,’ he told WJAC before attempted several runs.
The sport uses hydrogen peroxide instead of burning fuel. Via a process called decomposition it turns into high-pressured steam.
Anderson has not been put off by the close call and vowed to try again.
Video shows him blasting across Manawa Snodeo on Bear Lake as people watch on in awe
The sport uses hydrogen peroxide instead of burning fuel. Via a process called decomposition it turns into high-pressured steam
Anderson’s arms were strapped inside the vehicle to ensure safety. Image shows the view from inside the sled
Anderson previously said he was aiming for G-Force 9 and had ‘counter measures so that I don’t black out’. Images from inside the sled prior to the smash
Footage from inside the sled shows the view as Anderson flips but manages not to get hurt
But the vehicle spun out of control and flipped upside down, causing him to fail the record attempt
‘You see how far I got off course up there,’ he explained to WJAC after the crash. ‘I’m not done.’
His crew chief – who is 81 and has been building rockets since he was 13 – said it had taken years for them to reach that speed in a matter of seconds and revealed it has been very costly.
Anderson also crashed in 2017 while rocket sledding in Sweden but his Rocketboys team fixed any design flaws
‘It’ll burn about 18 gallons of fuel in four seconds at about $150 a gallon,’ Ky Michaelson told WJAC.
Anderson also crashed in 2017 while rocket sledding in Sweden but his Rocketboys team fixed any design flaws, giving him the confidence try again.
Anderson describes himself as someone who has always been a mechanical person and had mini bikes and raced dirt bikes growing up.
His Area 52 shop is filled with race cars and rockets.
On Tuesday, he was already planning for the next attempt and was closely scrutinizing his work.
‘I’m back home in MN ready to organize the build of a new winter go fast machine. I want to thank all the great people in Manawa and the surrounding communities,’ he posted on Facebook.
‘The support was amazing. Debbie, Dave, and Mike Sarna and the rest of the Snodeo crew thanks for a great event. I’m lucky I walked away from that wreck, some of my racing friends have not been so lucky.’
After the crash one shocked spectator is heard gasping in a video clip: ‘Is he alive?’
He said: ‘I’m lucky I walked away from that wreck, some of my racing friends have not been so lucky’
Anderson stepped outside of the sled and was greeted with a round of applause
After multiple runs he announced it was his last try of the day but has vowed to try again
Two days after the incident (pictured) Anderson was back in Minnesota and said he is ‘ready to organize the build of a new winter go fast machine’