The cabin fell some down a mountainside, The cable car had a capacity of 40 people or . At the time of the crash, at 5:19 pm, the cable car had 43 occupants—justified by the operator as many of them being children. Most of the victims were
West Germans from
Hamburg. Among those aboard were 21 West Germans, 11 Italians, 7 Austrians, and one French woman. Alessandra Piovesana survived because she was protected by other bodies from the impact of the fall, and she was standing at the front of the cabin, which was the least impacted part due to the orientation of the overhead carriage, which crushed the cabin. She testified in courts and reported her experience of the incident: "I was going down with two of my friends, Francesca and Giovanni. We stood at the front of the cabin facing Cavalese. The ride seemed to be normal until we reached the middle pylon when the car had suddenly stopped. We stood still for maybe a minute. Then it had started again, had winced, someone in the cabin had started laughing. Someone had said "hooch" when the rocking got stronger. They all laughed as if it were a game. Then there was a loud noise, I knew immediately that something dangerous was happening. I clung to Francesca. Then the cabin jerked backwards, and I felt lifted, then pulled in the gin by the legs, I couldn't breathe. The fall, the experts say, did not last more than three or four seconds. Four seconds before it crashed. Someone saw death run towards him. Certainly, those who were near the windows saw it as the cable car cabins are very panoramic. Four seconds are a moment, but they are also an eternity. I thought I was going to die. After hitting the ground everyone seemed to stop screaming and I heard only my voice. Then I passed out, but then woke up before help arrived. I tried to talk to Francesca, but she wasn't communicating. I saw Giovanni crouched on the ground with his face in his hands and crying. A child was screaming "Mom", a voice of a man was saying: "I'm going back to Milan immediately, I'm going home". Then he silenced forever. The other was a woman's voice: "I want my son" and she too silenced. Then I tried to open the door in the roof of the cabin. Help shortly arrived and I wanted to call my mother to tell her I was OK. Next I was being taken to a hospital." ==Investigation==