Abstract
An elderly married couple took a trip on a summer toboggan run (alpine-coaster). In a curve in the track, the woman fell from the vehicle and was fatally injured. During the accident, the brake lever broke off, implying the rupture as the primary cause of the accident. An investigation of the fractured brake lever was ordered by the public prosecutor. However, the findings of the fractographic and metallographic analyses, as well as mechanical tests, exonerated the rupture of the brake lever as the cause of the accident and instead suggested that the fracture was consequential damage. To clarify the root cause of the accident, several on-site measurements were carried out. In addition, the vertical and horizontal inertial forces acting on passengers during the toboggan trip were calculated. It was not possible to conclusively reconstruct all of the details of the accident. The accident could have been initiated solely by incorrect handling by the passages. However, the possibility of several technical contributors to the accident could be illustrated. Based on the findings of the failure analysis, safety recommendations were derived for the design of the toboggan and as well as for the operating instructions.
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