A cabin fell from a gondola lift in Engelberg, Switzerland this morning, killing the lone occupant. The incident happened on the upper section of the two stage Titlis Xpress, a Garaventa UNI-G system constructed in 2015. More than 100 other passengers were safely unloaded from the lift’s 159 remaining cabins. Swiss media reported a race scheduled to take place nearby was canceled earlier in the morning due to high winds.
Disturbing video from a bystander showed the detached cabin tumble down a steep cliff, ejecting the passenger along the way. The victim was later identified as a 61 year old woman from the area. At a press conference, Titlis Bergbahnen CEO Norbert Patt expressed regret for the accident and noted the company will fully support a government investigation. He said the gondola is regularly maintained to the highest standards. The lift has a wind alarm programmed for 40 km/hr (25 miles per hour) with a wind warning/shutdown occurring at 60 km/hr (37 miles per hour). The Titlis Xpress utilizes CWA Omega IV cabins and Doppelmayr DT-108 grips used widely throughout the world, including in North America.


A truly devastating event. Ironically that’s not the first DT Grip to detach from the haulrope in operation.
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interesting, I wonder if agamatic/d-line grips solve whatever fault caused this.
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Pretty sure the D-line grip is also not designed with hitting towers in high winds in mind
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well thats really worrying, especially considering that its a modern system. I wonder if there being only one occupant had anything to do with it, a full cabin probably would not have shaken as much in any prospective wind.
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