Industry News
A cabin on the Golden Eagle Express gondola at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort fell Monday after a key mechanical part gave way, forcing the resort to shut down all lift operations.
The cabin dropped after a hangar arm—the metal piece linking the carrier to the main cable—snapped, according to Liftblog. The eight-person cabin had just left the base station when it detached and fell to the ground. All passengers were inside at the time, but the low height likely minimized injuries.
The incident happened on a busy powder day, with 23 centimeters (9 inches) of fresh snow reported in the last 24 hours. The gondola was reportedly running near capacity when the failure occurred. Crews are currently working to detach the damaged grip and broken hanger from the haul rope so that other cabins, still loaded with passengers, can be safely brought back to the terminal. Kicking Horse provided an update regarding the incident on its website this morning, writing:
Golden – At 9:20 am, an incident occurred involving a cabin at the base terminal of Golden Eagle Express gondola. Our patrol team and first responders were rapidly dispatched on scene.
Our trained maintenance team is evacuating the passengers as per standard operating procedure. A full inspection has been initiated to determinate and analyze root causes. Teams from the manufacturer and relevant authorities have been called in to further assist. Please note Golden Eagle Express gondola will remain closed until further notice.
An update will be provided later today with regards to regular operations.
The Golden Eagle Express is a key part of the resort’s infrastructure. Built in 2000 by Leitner-Poma, it operates year-round, including nights, and carries skiers over 3,500 vertical feet. With 55 cabins, it provides access to most of the mountain—roughly 70 percent of the terrain is unreachable without it. As of now, all lifts at the resort remain closed while the investigation continues.
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