What Happened On March 9th?

Disaster struck over the Dolomites, a mountain range in northern Italy renowned for its world-class skiing on March 9th, 1976. On what seemed like a normal day of winter fun, tourists and locals flocked to the ski resort of Cavalese.

In the late afternoon, a cable car carrying a full load of 44 passengers – skiers, snowboarders, and excited tourists – ascended Mount Cermis. Among them were families, friends, and individuals seeking a moment of respite amidst the breathtaking scenery. Tragically, their ascent met a horrifying ordeal.

On its descent, the steel cable supporting the cabin, weakened by a faulty splice, snapped without warning. The cabin, now detached from its lifeline, plummeted over 160 feet (50 meters) down the mountainside.

The impact was catastrophic.

The mangled wreckage was then dragged for an extra 100-200 meters by the momentum of the still-moving carrier cable before coming to a rest in a grassy meadow. Such a terrible drop left little chance of survival for those onboard, and 43 lives were lost.

The time between the cable snapping and the cabin hitting the ground was estimated to be a mere fraction of a second. This means the victims had no time to react or brace themselves for the impending impact, adding another layer of shock and horror to the event.

The youngest victim of the accident was a heartbreaking loss – a mere 7-year-old girl. Despite the tragedy, a young German tourist, 14-year-old Alessandra Piovesana, miraculously escaped the wreckage as the sole survivor. Despite her own injuries and state of shock, she managed to climb down the mountain and alert rescue teams, attempting to save lives of others.

Investigations revealed that a technical malfunction, the “faulty splice” was the primary reason. However, reports surfaced and showed that past inadequate maintenance practices may have gone unnoticed for an extended period.

The Cavalese cable car disaster had a profound and lasting impact on the Italian ski industry. In the wake of the tragedy, safety regulations were immediately tightened. Additionally, weight capacity limits were tightly enforced, and maintenance protocols were rigorously reviewed.

350 miles away in the city of Elba, “Dolphin Man” broke a record as he dove down the same distance as the cable car fell. Both of these events falling in the same year, Italians were frightened as human lives were put on the line.