After a similar accident in 2019 Titlis lifts rejected offer for safety upgrade
A 61-year-old woman died in the gondola crash on the Titlis on March 18 - it has now emerged that manufacturer Garaventa had offered a safety upgrade following a similar accident in 2019. The Titlis cable cars never implemented it.
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- A gust of wind tore a Titlis Xpress gondola from its cable on March 18 - a 61-year-old woman died.
- The accident is similar to an incident in 2019 on the Rotenfluebahn in the canton of Schwyz, where an identical gondola with the same "DT 108" dome clamp crashed under similar circumstances.
- Manufacturer Garaventa subsequently offered a safety retrofit, but Titlis-Bahnen did not request a quotation.
- The public prosecutor's office and Sust are now investigating.
Three days after the fatal gondola crash on the Titlis, there is growing evidence that a strong gust of wind was the cause. At the same time, however, it is clear that the Titlis cableways did not implement a possible safety retrofit on their gondola lift a few years ago.
As CEO Norbert Patt confirmed to the Sonntagszeitung newspaper, the manufacturer Garaventa had pointed out retrofit options after a similar accident in 2019.
In last Wednesday's accident, a Titlis Xpress gondola plummeted between Trübsee and Stand. A 61-year-old woman died as a result. Investigators from the public prosecutor's office and the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (Sust) are now looking into how the accident could have happened.
According to Garaventa's CEO, an "unexpectedly strong gust of wind" probably triggered the crash after the heavily deflected gondola collided with a mast.
Authorities made no recommendation
The incident is reminiscent of a 2019 accident on the Rotenfluebahn cable car in the canton of Schwyz. Back then, a similarly strong gust tore an identical gondola with the same "DT 108" dome clamp from the rope. There were no injuries. At the time, Sust saw no need for further action and made no recommendation for technical changes.
According to information from "Inside Paradeplatz", Garaventa offered a possible retrofit after the Mythen accident - an additional part on the clamp to increase safety in strong winds. According to Titlis CEO Patt, however, this was not a binding request. "We took note of the information and did not request a quote for a retrofit," he is quoted as saying by the Sonntagszeitung. The connection with the accident at the time was not recognized because there was no reference to the Mythen case in the communication.
The authorities did not order any mandatory retrofitting after 2019. Patt emphasizes that the Titlis cableways "immediately implemented" such an instruction. Safety issues were their priority, economic considerations did not play a role. According to CH Media, there are no indications that economic pressure was exerted on the operating staff during strong winds.
The Titlis cableways resumed operations on Saturday and expressed their condolences to the relatives of the deceased: They are "dismayed and deeply saddened". The investigation by Sust and the public prosecutor's office is continuing.