While chairlift accidents are extremely rare, they do occur. Resort-goers following lift safety protocol is a crucial step in accident prevention, though sometimes, mechanical failures can tragically become a factor, too. A lengthy Sports Illustrated piece from 1976 details one of those instances, recounting the story of a fatal gondola malfunction took place at Vail Mountain earlier that year – 50 years ago this upcoming spring. The malfunction resulted in the deaths of four people in what appears to be the deadliest skiing-related chairlift incident to occur in the history of the United States.

The incident on Vail Mountain took place on March 26, 1976, with two gondola cabins sent falling 125 feet to the ground from Gondola II. According to the Sports Illustrated report, a strand of “track cable” had come lose at one of the gondola’s towers, ultimately unraveling and causing multiple gondola cabins to bang against the tower as they passed.

Two gondola cabins – Car 25 followed by Car 60 – eventually plunged into the snow below, with Car 60 landing upside down and fatally wounding two teenage girls and a 42-year-old woman. An 18-year-old male who was in one of the cabins that fell later died at a hospital in Denver, with several other skiers left injured – some of injuries were described as “severe.” It’s also worth noting that in the aftermath of the gondolas falling, 176 people were stranded in their own cabins until a rescue could take place.

According to Encyclopedia.com, the incident prompted more than $50 million in lawsuits that would eventually be settled for “only a fraction of the total claim,” with liability concerns reportedly leading to a vote from the board to sell Vail Associates. A controlling interest in the company was acquired by Harry Bass later in 1976 and Vail Associates would later be purchased by George N. Gillett Jr. in 1985, who changed the company name to Vail Resorts with the company eventually going public in 1997.

The 1976 report from Sports Illustrated on this tragic and historic event is very in-depth and worth the read. Find that here. Those interested in ski history may also be interested in checking out reporting from The Aspen Times at the time – find those newspaper clippings here.

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