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UPDATED: NYC High-Rise Hit by Plane or Helicopter
NEW YORK (CNN) — Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed Wednesday when the 34-year-old ballplayer’s plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building in New York, city and baseball team officials said……
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Small Aircraft Hits Building on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Police SayNEW YORK (AP) — A small plane crashed into a high-rise on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, police said Wednesday. There was no immediate word on any deaths or injuries.
A column of gray smoke rose over the city, and raging flames could be seen in four windows on two upper floors.
A small aircraft has crashed into a high-rise residential building at 72nd Street and York in Manhattan, police said. Police are en route to the site, said to be at 525 E. 72nd Street. Flames and smoke could be seen pouring from the high rise apartment as fire engines raced to the scene.
Fighter aircraft are being put in the air over several U.S. cities as a precautionary measure, NORAD tells CNN.
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25 Responses to “UPDATED: NYC High-Rise Hit by Plane or Helicopter”
Prayers for all who are involved in the incident…
Agreed – prayers are in order. But was it necessary – other than to spook us and remind us of the war on “terruh” – for NORAD to scramble fighter planes, after they had said that this was an ACCIDENT?
friend of bill:
I think it’s premature to say for certain that it was an accident; that is the indication so far but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for NORAD to err on the side of caution.
I agree with C. Stanley. It could be an accident but on the other hand I’m surprised ANY aircraft is allowed into the airspace above Manhattan, so I’m a little surprised about an aircraft being there at all, let alone crashing into a building.
Here’s hoping it is just an accident and that the human death or injuries are minimal, but I think taking cautionary steps is good.
Friend of bill, if they didn’t take cautionary steps, and it turned out to be another multiple attack, you would scream yourself blue with rage (with very good reason) if the administration didn’t react to the first plane.
I am basing it on the reports from NORAD and the FBI – prior to sending out the fighter planes – that it was an accident.
I will also say this – and I am not doing so to cause controversy, but because this is what I believe – if this had happened anywhere else but New York City, and it has happened many many times before, it would get about 20 seconds of coverage. No wall to wall CNN, and certainly no scrambling.
friend of bill:
I think your right, but I don’t think that it is a political tactic. Its just that NYC is still a sore spot for this country, and probably will be for the rest of my lifetime.
I think I just heard that it was a plane from a former player of the Yankees? I did not hear well enough. Can any one confirm this?
It was a current yankee player.
NEW YORK — A small plane piloted by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashed into a 50-story condominium tower Wednesday on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, killing at least four people, authorities said.
Lidle died in the crash.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2621860
I am astonished that the FAA will allow any shmuck with a license 7 months old to fly over Manhattan. How shortsighted can we be?
That’s a good question Tom.
What was his state of mind? It can’t have been good, considering what’s been going on lately with the team. Was he drunk? Depressed?
Small planes are death traps waiting to be sprung, for anyone idiot enough to be flying incapacitated. (Or beyond their training and experience, like JFK Jr flying into a storm.)
He was probably terrified at the prospect of Speaker Pelosi.
Truthers at places like the Democratic Underground are now claiming that this was Karl Rove’s October Surprise. It is 10/11. They are claiming that this is to remind people of 9/11.
His ‘state of mind’ was that he had a fuel problem, and had radioed in a mayday.
Now we are really getting crazy.
I didn’t see anything about a fuel problem, most of the items I see are weather issues.
Dislike the morons who post stuff like that link Tommy, heck other places called it a twin engine, anyway
He was flying VFR – reported ceiling at 1,800 feet, min altitude there is 1,100 feet – he probably didn’t have his IFR rating. I’m sure it was pilot error, it happens, I’ve seen it happen to some outstanding pilots before. A few of my friends died due to pilot error.
Tom in Texas: There are no regulations stating someone has to have x number of hours rated in the aircraft, or x number of hours on the license to begin with. The hour requirements do come into effect when you are going for different ratings – but mostly the hours limit how much a commercial pilot can be on duty/flight hours per day/week/month/year. Once you have a license – you have the license – not unlike when you got a drivers license.
What an utterly bizarre and tragic story. I remember when Cory Lidle pitched for the Mets. He was sent to Oakland in a trade that brought Kenny Rogers to the Mets. Lidle left the A’s and went to the Phillies. This year he was traded with Abreu to the Yankees. It’s not common that I read a news story with utter shock. This was one of those.
interested – from CNN “There was a mayday from the pilot involving a problem with fuel, government sources close to the investigation told CNN.”
Oh god I agree with Tommy twice in one day. The world is going to end soon now heheh. I SWEAR people are reading into that too much. Good link, and scary at the same time.
Gottchya AR – surprised the other links I found didn’t report it too.
C. Prez
Don’t make it habit.
(Though, in spite of what you might think, I’m really not a bad guy, you know?)
Yeah Lidle… unbelievable. I did not hear it well enough when I posted the question. Unbelievable.
What I can’t understand is if they had a fuel problem and were apparently losing alititude quickly, why not ditch in the river right next to the area they crashed in?
That’s why I think it might have been a control surface problem, or a fire in the engine.
Tommy,
Next beer’s on me!!! Here here!!!
According to a TIME article
Although here too it conflicts with other reports on a 1100 foot min altitude.
and
I still suspect the NTSB will come back with pilot error – probably weather added to their stress level.