2006 New York City Cirrus SR20 crash
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
| File:100 1502.JPG The building after the fire was extinguished. | |
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 11 2006 |
| Summary | Plane collided with skyscraper |
| Site | The Belaire, New York City |
| Aircraft type | Cirrus SR20 |
| Operator | Private |
| Crew | 1 (pilot) |
| Fatalities | 4 |
On October 11 2006, a small plane crashed in New York City shortly before 3:00 pm local time, into the north side of an apartment building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, causing a fire which was put out within one hour.[1]
Four people have been found dead: two from the plane and two in the building, according to New York Police Department officials.[2]
The airplane — misreported as a helicopter soon after the crash[3] — struck the 20th floor of 524 East 72nd Street, a 50-story condominium tower built in 1986. Located on the corner of York Avenue, the building, known as The Belaire, contains 183 apartments, many of which sell for more than $1 million;[4] as well as a health club, garage and pool. [5] [6] Among the residents is novelist Mary Higgins Clark, who was interviewed by CBS Radio after she returned to the building to find the commotion outside; her apartment on the 38th floor was not believed to be near the crash area.
Main concerns at first were whether people were still present in the building and whether its structural integrity was compromised. [7] There are also reports of debris, luggage and fuel falling to street level and having started a fire there. Video footage confirmed that three apartments were engulfed in flames. Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). There are unconfirmed reports that the plane sounded like it was having mechanical problems.
WNBC-TV reports that the aircraft was a Cirrus SR20 that departed from Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey. They also reported the tail number of the plane, N929CD, which may have been recently purchased by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle.
Responses to the crash
The crash has garnered extra attention because of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The FBI has told the BBC that there is no indication that the crash was related to terrorism.[8] U.S. officials said that NORAD has scrambled fighter aircraft over numerous American cities for Combat Air Patrol, and that U.S. President George W Bush has been told about the situation.[7]
Reports of the crash caused a drop in the Dow Jones trading index at the New York Stock Exchange.[9]
Neither LaGuardia Airport nor John F. Kennedy International Airport have been affected by the crash.
See also
- January 5, 2002 Tampa plane crash - similar incident
- April 18, 2002 Pirelli Tower plane crash - similar incident
References
- ^ Police say small plane crashes into high-rise in New York City; 2 reported killed
- ^ MSN video (requires specific software)
- ^ Aircraft crash in NYC
- ^ Washington Times, Small plane hits Manhattan building
- ^ Belaire Condos
- ^ Aircraft crashes into NYC building
- ^ a b CNN International live television coverage, October 11, 2006. Cite error: The named reference "CNN tv" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Aircraft hits New York building
- ^ U.S. Stocks Extend Drop on Report of Small Plane Crash in N.Y.
External links
- Small aircraft hits building in Manhattan (The New York Times)
- Aircraft crash in NYC (ABC)
- Aircraft crashes into NYC building (MSNBC)
- Aircraft crashes into New York building (CNN)
- U.S. Stocks Extend Drop on Report of Small Plane Crash in N.Y. (Bloomberg)
- Treasuries briefly pare losses on plane crash report (Reuters)
- Olshan Realty ad for Apt 43DE at 524 East 72nd Street; includes pictures
- Building's entry on Emporis.com
- WikiNews Article
- Microsoft Live Local images - The one with the entrance visible at street level.