Imagine the surprise of the resort’s lift maintenance manager when he saw the haul rope slack, with most of the chairs resting on the ground, on the evening of July 10. It wasn’t until he traveled to the top of Spruce Peak that he saw why. In a press release, the resort said, “Initial findings have determined that the foundation detachment caused the top terminal to be pulled downhill to a 90-degree angle by the weight of the haul rope, which then allowed the haul rope to release from the terminal's bullwheel and fall, lowering most chairs to the ground.”

The chairlift does not operate during the summer, and is located in an area of the sprawling western Maine resort that is seldom visited during the summer, so no one witnessed the failure, and no one was injured. The lift underwent a load test in October prior to winter operations, and operated without incident all season.

According to initial feedback from investigators, this was a sudden incident and not something that happened over time. The cause is unknown at present, a press release from Sunday River said. The failure is under investigation by engineers from the State of Maine Board of Elevator and Tramway Safety, MountainGuard insurance, and the resort.

Once the investigation is complete, a report will be released. The resort said it plans to “act on whatever decision is made as quickly as possible following the conclusion of the investigation.”

The fixed grip Spruce Peak Triple was installed in 1986 and manufactured by Borvig. This is the most recent of a handful of lift failures involving Borvig lifts. In February, a cross arm assembly detached from its perch atop a tower while the lift was carrying passengers at Timberline Resort in West Virginia. Two lift incidents at Sugarloaf, Maine—the Spillway East lift deropement in 2010, and the King Pine lift rollback in 2015—involved Borvig-manufactured lifts. Sugarloaf replaced the Spillway lift with a new fixed grip quad, and replaced the drivetrain on King Pine.

Sunday River’s chairlifts undergo regular testing throughout the year, including daily safety inspections while operating during the winter, along with weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance and testing. The State of Maine Board of Elevator and Tramway Safety also inspects the lifts annually.