Small Aircraft Hits Manhattan Building
Aircraft Crashes into NY Building
(Image borrowed from Little Green Footballs.)
AP via Brietbart.Com:
A small plane crashed into an Upper East Side high-rise Wednesday, shooting flames out the windows, raining debris on the sidewalks below and rattling New Yorkers' nerves exactly one month after the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. Police confirmed 2 people are dead.
Christine Monaco, a New York spokeswoman for FBI, said there was no indication of terrorism, but that officials "have been sent to the scene as a routine." FAA spokesman Jim Peters said all three New York City-area airports were operating normally.
"The initial indication is that there is a terrible accident," said Department of Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke.
The aircraft struck the 20th floor of a building on East 72nd Street, said Fire Department spokeswoman Emily Rahimi. Witnesses said the crash caused a loud noise, and flames were seen shooting out of the windows.
"It's a mob scene with police and helicopters circling," said Sandy Teller, watching from his apartment a block away. "There's a dozen ambulances and lots of firefighters waiting on 72nd, on the corner. There's lots of stretchers ready, gurneys. And lots of emergency people waiting."
The crash struck fear in a city devastated by the attacks of Sept. 11 five years ago. Witnesses said sirens echoed across the east side of Manhattan as emergency workers rushed to the scene. The crash triggered a loud bang. Broken glass and debris was strewn around the neighborhood.
"There's a sense of helplessness," Teller said. "Cots and gurneys, waiting. It's a mess."
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was too early to determine what type of aircraft was involved, or what might have caused the crash in the middle of a hazy October afternoon.
Developing: Read more…
This is my "home town" so I'll be watching this story for new developments.
Also following:
*** Update:
Various sources indicate the the plane was registered to Cory Lidle, a pitcher with the New York Yankees baseball team. Two bodies have been recovered at the scene. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Lidle may have been piloting the plane. His passport was found among the plane's wreckage.
Video: NBC Live Feed.