The SkyScreamer ride at Six Flags Great Adventure is supposed to pull a rider up a dizzying 242-foot tower into the air and then spin them around at about 40 miles per hour, then bring them safely down.

But that's not what happened Sunday at about 2:30 p.m

Instead, the spinning gondola stopped in mid-ride with 32 passengers aboard, park officials said. The typical two minutes and 30 second ride turned into 15 minutes onboard.

The ride came to a halt after safety sensors detected an error and applied an emergency stop near its mid-point, a spokeswoman for the theme park in Jackson said Monday.

The ride remains closed Monday afternoon as inspectors check it. The 32 passengers spent about 15 minutes in the air Sunday until park officials got it back on the ground.

"Our team returned the ride to its home position and guests safely exited the ride on the ground, spokeswoman Kaitlyn Pitts said in an emailed statement. "The safety of our guests is our top priority and the ride will be closed for a thorough inspection before re-opening,"

The ride opened in 2012.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.