# Canonical recap data for Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash (2021)
# Source: https://recap.at/2021/stresa-mottarone-cable-car-crash
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: stresa-mottarone-cable-car-crash
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2021/stresa-mottarone-cable-car-crash"
title: Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash
aliases:
- Mottarone cable car disaster
- Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash
- Lake Maggiore cable car tragedy
subtitle: "On this day (05/23), 5 years ago: A cable car falls from a mountain near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, killing 14 people."
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2021-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2021
decade: 2020
summaryShort: On 23 May 2021, an aerial tram on the Stresa–Alpino–Mottarone Cable Car crashed to the ground after a traction or haulage cable snapped about five metres (16 ft) from the summit of Mottarone, a mountain near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. Normally, a hydraulic safety brake would have stopped the runaway car immediate
summaryLong: On 23 May 2021, an aerial tram on the Stresa–Alpino–Mottarone Cable Car crashed to the ground after a traction or haulage cable snapped about five metres (16 ft) from the summit of Mottarone, a mountain near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. Normally, a hydraulic safety brake would have stopped the runaway car immediately but the cable car was operating illegally with the brake disabled. The crash killed fourteen passengers in the cable car, and seriously injured one child.
lede: A cable car plunged 75 meters to the ground near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy on May 23, 2021, killing all 14 people aboard. The aerial tram's main cable had snapped near the mountain summit, and its backup safety brake—disabled for maintenance—failed to engage.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Lago-Maggiore_1391.JPG/1280px-Lago-Maggiore_1391.JPG"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Death toll
  value: 14 people
- label: Date
  value: 23 May 2021
- label: Fall distance
  value: 75 meters (246 feet)
- label: Location
  value: Near Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Piedmont, Italy
- label: Cable break point
  value: Approximately 5 meters from Mottarone summit
- label: Survivors
  value: One child (age 5)
- label: Safety brake status
  value: Deliberately disabled for maintenance
- label: People charged
  value: 3 individuals with manslaughter and related offenses
timeline:
- date: 2021-05-23
  title: Cable car crash
  description: The Stresa–Alpino–Mottarone cable car breaks its main traction cable near the summit and plummets 75 meters. The hydraulic safety brake, which had been disabled during maintenance work, does not engage. Fourteen people die; one five-year-old child survives.
- date: 2021-05-24
  title: Investigation begins
  description: Italian authorities launch a criminal investigation into the crash. Prosecutors examine maintenance records and operational procedures.
- date: 2021-06-15
  title: First arrests
  description: Prosecutors charge three people—including the cable car operator and maintenance personnel—with manslaughter and safety violations.
- date: 2021-09-01
  title: Negligence findings
  description: Investigators determine that the safety brake was intentionally disabled and not re-engaged before the cable car resumed operation, constituting criminal negligence.
- date: 2022-05-27
  title: Trial proceedings advance
  description: Criminal trial continues in Turin; evidence presented includes maintenance logs showing the brake had been disabled for weeks.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stresa%E2%80%93Mottarone_cable_car_crash"
  title: Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Lago-Maggiore_1391.JPG/1280px-Lago-Maggiore_1391.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Lago-Maggiore_1391.JPG/800px-Lago-Maggiore_1391.JPG"
  caption: Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash
  credit: Wikipedia · "Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash"
  width: 330
  height: 221
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone_Sv%C3%A6vebane.JPG/1280px-Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone_Sv%C3%A6vebane.JPG"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone_Sv%C3%A6vebane.JPG/800px-Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone_Sv%C3%A6vebane.JPG"
  caption: Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone Svævebane
  credit: BKP
  width: 2592
  height: 1944
impactStatement: The crash exposed criminal negligence in the operation and maintenance of the Stresa–Alpino–Mottarone Cable Car. Three people were charged with manslaughter and other crimes; the incident triggered a broader investigation into safety protocols across Italy's cable car network.
categories: []
taxonomy:
domain: environmental
eventTypes:
- natural_disaster
canonicalClasses:
- collapse
- conflict
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: accidental
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: death
metaDescription: Cable car crash near Lake Maggiore kills 14. Main cable snapped, backup brake disabled.
wikidataQid: Q106951006
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20210526193950/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stresa%E2%80%93Mottarone_cable_car_crash"
  capturedAt: 2021-05-26
  label: Stresa–Mottarone cable car crash
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stresa%E2%80%93Mottarone_cable_car_crash"
