Seat of Edinburgh Star Flyer ride plunges 200ft to the ground A showpiece ride at Edinburgh's Christmas festival has been closed after a section of seating broke off and crashed 200ft to the ground. The Star Flyer in St Andrew Square will now undergo safety checks following the incident on Friday evening which saw part of a seat fall from the ride at around 9.30pm. Witnesses said the section flew off as the attraction was operating, crashing into the box office and narrowly missing stalls and spectators below. It is believed around 30 people could have been on the ride at the time. A statement from operators Underbelly said: "At 9:30pm, a piece of plastic from the underside of one of the seat units of the Star Flyer fell off. The ride had been closed earlier on Friday for maintenance, but a spokesman for Underbelly was unable to confirm whether that was connected to the ride's seating. Edinburgh's Christmas website describes the Star Flyer, which costs £7.50 to ride, as "truly awesome...the ultimate ride." In a statement midday on Saturday, operators said: "Public safety is of paramount importance to Edinburgh's Christmas. The Star Flyer will therefore be closed to allow for full safety checks to be carried out, and in anticipation of strong winds forecast for later today. We expect it to be re-opened on Sunday December 15. We apologise for any inconvenience and tickets for today can either be refunded or exchanged for another date at the box office, the number is 0844 545 8252.