Where to Ski And Snowboard - Aerial Tram cabin falls in Snowbird

Aerial Tram cabin falls in Snowbird

1st June 2022, by Abi Butcher

The new cabin was being transported by a crane in Snowbird, Utah

A double-decker ski lift cabin with viewing gallery smashed to the ground while being transported by crane in the ski resort of Snowbird, Utah last weekend. While the cabin was damaged beyond repair, thankfully no one was injured as the accident happened in a closed construction area at the base of the mountain.

The cabin was destined for Snowbird’s 50-year-old Aerial Tram, which is in the process of a major upgrade to include new cabins with rooftop viewing decks like the one that fell — which had just arrived in the US from Olten in Switzerland where it was manufactured by CWA Constructions.

The double-decker cabins with open-air top decks are becoming popular at ski resorts around the world. The first one opened in Cabrio, Switzerland in 2012, the second in Tignes in 2018 and Where to Ski and Snowboard reported on the opening of a third in Carezza in the Italian Dolomites last winter. Two-tier lifts with enclosed upper decks are more common, including the Vanoise Express in Paradiski and the Samnaun Twinliner that connects Samnaun in Switzerland with Ischgl in Austria.

The lift was being upgraded by its original manufacturer, Doppelmayr/Garaventa, with reopening scheduled for later this month. This will now likely be delayed and an investigation is underway to establish how the accident happened.