Preliminary Sugarloaf King Pine Chairlift Investigation Cites Multiple Mechanical Failures
Chairlift rollback resulted in seven injuries.
Sunday, March 22, 2015, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
According to a March 22, 2015 press release issued by Sugarloaf, a series of mechanical failures led to the King Pine chairlift rollback on Saturday.
Preliminary findings suggest a gearbox failure resulted in the service brake and anti-reverse brake being rendered inoperable. In addition, the lift's drop dog rollback brake did not deploy properly. According to the press release, the application of the emergency brake by the lift attendant eventually stopped the rollback.
Located on the eastern side of the ski area, the King Pine was installed new in 1988 by Borvig. The lift remains closed during the investigation. While the lift did not derope, multiple chairs were mangled during the rollback.
