Each cable alone can support a fully loaded car. The only elevator fall due to a complete cable system failure occurred during the 1940's when an airplane crashed into the empire state building and severed all the cables on a particular elevator. MYTH - Some people believe that an overcrowded elevator will fall.

Why do elevators drop?

There are several mechanical issues that can cause an elevator to drop rapidly in the elevator shaft. One of the most common is a pulley system malfunction. ... If this happens, the car can plunge multiple stories at shockingly fast speeds, potentially tossing passengers around the elevator. Faulty wiring.

What keeps an elevator from falling?

Elevators have two or three types of brakes. If there's an error in the safety chain, a clamp closes on the pulley above the car, preventing the elevator from moving. Unlike an automobile brake, which has to be depressed to engage, the elevator brake is clamped down unless power is supplied to release it.