TL;DR
Investigators and manufacturer Doppelmayr Garaventa believe an extreme wind gust caused the fatal Titlis Xpress gondola accident on March 18 in Switzerland. The cabin struck a support tower before detaching from the cable. No mechanical fault has been identified, but questions remain around operational timing.
A sudden wind gust is the most likely cause of the fatal Titlis Xpress gondola accident, according to investigators and the lift's manufacturer
A 61-year-old woman was killed on March 18 when an eight-person cabin on the Titlis Xpress gondola detached from its cable, fell onto a snow-covered slope, and rolled several times before coming to rest. She was the sole occupant of the cabin. First responders attempted resuscitation at the scene but were unable to save her. The accident occurred shortly before 11 a.m.
While the investigation by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) is ongoing, early findings point to extreme wind as the triggering factor. Lift manufacturer Doppelmayr Garaventa has reached the same preliminary conclusion.
What investigators believe happened
According to Doppelmayr Garaventa CEO Arno Inauen, the cabin was violently swung by an unexpectedly strong gust of wind, causing it to collide with a support tower. SUST's physical examination of the lift infrastructure supports this sequence - investigators found evidence of contact between the gondola's clamp mechanism and the roller assembly on the tower. That impact appears to have been the critical moment, after which the cabin was torn from the cable and fell.
