October 11, 200619 yr NEW YORK ? (AP) ? A small plane crashed into a 50-story condominium tower Wednesday on Manhattan's Upper East Side, raining flaming debris onto the sidewalks below and rattling New Yorkers' nerves five years after the Sept. 11 attack. Police said at least two people were killed. The FBI and the Homeland Security Department said there was no evidence it was a terrorist attack. "The initial indication is that there is a terrible accident,'' Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said. Nevertheless, fighter jets were sent aloft over U.S. cities as a precaution, the Pentagon said. The plane hit the 20th floor of the Belaire ? a tower overlooking the East River, about five miles from the World Trade Center ? on a hazy, cloudy afternoon with a loud bang, touching off a raging fire that cast a pillar of black smoke over the city and sent flames shooting from four windows on two adjoining floors. Firefighters shot water streams of water at the flames from the floors below and put the blaze out in less than an hour. Police said two people were killed, but they did not say whether they died aboard the plane or on the ground. Young May Cha, a 23-year-old Cornell University medical student, said she was walking back from the grocery store down 72nd Street when she saw an object out of the corner of her eye. "I just saw something come across the sky and crash into that building,'' she said. Cha said there appeared to be smoke coming from behind the aircraft, and "it looked like it was flying erraticaly for the short time that I saw it.'' "The explosion was very small. I was not threatened for my life,'' she added. Richard Drutman, a professional photographer who lives on the 11th floor, said he was talking on the telephone when he felt the building shake. "There was a huge explosion. I looked out my window, and saw what appeared to be pieces of wings, on fire, falling from the sky,'' Drutman said. He and his girlfriend quickly evacuated the building. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was too early to determine what type of aircraft was involved, or what might have caused the crash. There was no immediate word on where the plane came from or where it was headed. "Fighters are airborne over numerous U.S. cities and while every indication is that this is an accident we see this as a prudent measure at this time,'' said Sgt. Claudette Hutchinson, a spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, Colo. However, all three New York City-area airports continued to operate normally, FAA spokesman Jim Peters said. In Washington, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said neither President Bush nor Vice President Dick Cheney was moved to secure locations. And Homeland Security's Knocke said: "There is no specific or credible intelligence suggesting a threat to the homeland at this time.'' The crash struck fear in a city devastated by the attacks of Sept. 11 five years ago. Sirens echoed across the neighborhood as emergency workers and ambulances rushed in with stretchers. Broken glass and debris were strewn around the neighborhood. "There's a sense of helplessness,'' said Sandy Teller, watching from his apartment a block away. "Cots and gurneys, waiting. It's a mess.'' The tower was built in the late 1980s and is situated near Sotheby's auction house. It has 183 apartments, many of which sell for more than $1 million. Several lower floors are occupied by doctors and administrative offices, as well as guest facilities for family members of patients at the Hospital for Special Surgery, hospital spokeswoman Phyllis Fisher said. No patients were in the high-rise building and operations at the hospital a block away were not affected, Fisher said.
October 11, 200619 yr Why is it that when things like this happen, the government instantly comes out and says "no indication this is terrorism" How the hell could they know so soon ??? According to CNN, the NYC police have said it is a multi-engine small plane.
October 11, 200619 yr Fox news says it may be a helicopter NORAD said it was a small aircraft that was of no concern for them (they weren't tracking it).
October 11, 200619 yr If it was just a crash (hopefully no one killed) and no terrorism then I can live with it...
October 11, 200619 yr If it was just a crash (hopefully no one killed) and no terrorism then I can live with it... Hopefully no one killed? I assume there were people on the plane...
October 11, 200619 yr If it was just a crash (hopefully no one killed) and no terrorism then I can live with it... Hopefully no one killed? I assume there were people on the plane... Besides them. Hopefully no one was a home at 2:45pm.
October 11, 200619 yr The address of the building is 524 E. 72nd Street a 50-story condominium tower built in 1986 and located nearby Sotheby's Auction House. It has 183 apartments, many of which sell for more than $1 million. yahoo.com
October 11, 200619 yr Author According to AP FBI spokeswoman Christine Monaco said there was no indication the crash was a terrorist attack.
October 11, 200619 yr Could have had some type of failure. Or, someone living in those appartments made some serious enemies.
October 11, 200619 yr Well then who the hell flies their plane into a high rise? Pilot error Suicide Wife won the plane and the million dollar apartment in a divorce and the husband was delivering it Mechanical failure
October 11, 200619 yr If you rotate 9-11-01 clockwise you get 10-11-6. Conspiracy nuts come out of the woodwork in 3...2...
October 11, 200619 yr CNN and CNNSI is reporting that Cory Lidle, pitcher on the NY Yankees, was the owner and pilot of the plane that crashed into a NYC building. Hope it's not true...
October 11, 200619 yr Author WASHINGTON … (AP) … A law enforcement official has told The Associated Press that a member of the New York Yankees organization was aboard the plane that crashed into a New York City high-rise. And FAA records show the plane was registered to pitcher Cory Lidle. ME is reporting that four people have died...more to come
October 11, 200619 yr CNN is reporting that Lidle was the owner. They do not know if he was in the plane today. Whoever it was, it appears to be a suicide to me.
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