Two dead as aircraft crashes into Manhattan building

[TruckDriver]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061011/ts_nm/crash_newyork_dc_5

They just said now on tv, that the plane belonged to NY Yankees pitcher Cory Lydel (spelling?). He was confirmed killed.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - At least two people were killed when a small aircraft crashed into a 52-story building on Manhattan's Upper East Side in overcast weather on Wednesday in what appeared to be an accident, officials said.

U.S. and New York officials said they had no reason to believe the crash was related to terrorism.

A New York police department spokeswoman said the crash killed two people and possibly more.

Military fighter jets were patrolling several U.S. cities as a precaution, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said.

"NORAD fighters are airborne over numerous cities. They are airborne now as a prudent measure," said NORAD spokeswoman Kyle Combs. She did not say which cities were being patrolled, or how many, but added the fighters were sent up right after the plane crashed into the building.

On Wall Street, U.S. stocks extended losses on the news but quickly recovered once it became clear the crash was not an attack similar to the hijacked plane attacks of September 11, 2001.

"We have no reason to believe at this point that it is terrorist related," said New York City Police Chief Michael Collins.

The aircraft crashed at East 72nd St. and York Avenue, near the East River, a 1980s building which is mainly upscale residential apartments but also has a small specialized hospital on the bottom 22 floors.

Luis Gonzales, 23, was working in the building remodeling a nearby apartment and saw the crash.

"I was looking out the window and I saw the plane coming so close to us and it swerved to try and avoid the building but it hit the building," he said. "It was a small plane. We went knocking on doors to try and see if people needed to get out, but we did not get any answers."

"I am still shaking," he said.

Smoke and flames poured from the upper floors of the high-rise building and more than one hundred firefighters were dispatched to the scene, reviving memories of the September 11 attacks.

"It's really bad. Flames are shooting from the building. I was on my terrace and I saw it," said witness Tressa Octave, who lives two blocks away.

The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicated the crash was a small plane.

"It's unknown what type of aircraft it is or how many people were aboard," FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said.

The plane was flying by visual flight rules, meaning the pilot does not have to be in contact with air traffic controllers.

Earlier, the fire department had said the craft was a helicopter.

Justice Department spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said, "all indications from the FBI are that this was an accident. The initial assessment is that it probably just was a bad accident."

Paula Gonzales, who works in a neighboring building, said, "I was walking along the street then I heard a big bang and everybody looked up. I saw a plane go in. I saw small pieces of a plane falling. Then people started running."

John Madden from Tampa, Florida, in New York on business, was in the building next to the crash site. "The whole building shook, and we were told to evacuate."

White House spokesman Tony Fratto said President George W. Bush was aware of the crash in New York and "we're gathering facts" about it.

He said White House not commenting at this point on determining what happened.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Joanna Gonzalez said, "There is no indication of a terror nexis at this time. There's no specific or credible intelligence suggesting an imminent threat to the homeland at this time."

[Charger_Fan]

One would think that after 9/11, there would be so many safety measures in place that nobody could 'accidentally' crash a plane into a building in New York. Apparently not, I suppose.

That sucks, not only for the people who died in the plane, but for the surrounding people who had an instant flashback to 9/11 too.

[Ponch ®]

They just said now on tv, that the plane belonged to NY Yankees pitcher Cory Lydel (spelling?). He was confirmed killed.

that's a shame. He was a"plane down to earth" kinda guy.

[Spike]

Just seen him pitch at the Tiger game last saturday. Sad, feel bad for his family.

[NHCharger]

They just said now on tv, that the plane belonged to NY Yankees pitcher Cory Lydel (spelling?). He was confirmed killed.

that's a shame. He was a"plane down to earth" kinda guy.

I fail to find the humor in that, please enlighten me.

[4402tuff4u]

Sad...young guy with full career ahead of him, wife and 6 yr old son. Besides baseball, his passion in life was truely flying. I can relate to that, it's a feeling of true freedom! I heard the fighters overhead shortly after the news got out that a plane had hit a building in NYC. I'm about 30 miles east of NYC.

[Brock Samson]

sad but i guess it was a sudden major malfunction...
Sad to think about all the "Stars" that have died in aircraft over the years...
no small number...

[Shakey]

sad but i guess it was a sudden major malfunction...
Sad to think about all the "Stars" that have died in aircraft over the years...
no small number...

Like who?

I can think of John Denver - who else?

[Johnny SixPack]

sad but i guess it was a sudden major malfunction...
Sad to think about all the "Stars" that have died in aircraft over the years...
no small number...

Like who?

I can think of John Denver - who else?

Stevie Ray Vaughn (helicopter)

The Big Bopper - Richie Valens - Buddy Holly (those 3 all at the same time)

Steve and Cassie Gaines + Ronnie Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Otis Redding

Randy Rhoads

Aaliyah

Just some quick ones.

[nh_mopar_fan]

Payne Stewart for one. That was very freaky.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payne_Stewart

There was a SD running back, Rodney Culver, that died on that Valujet flight that crashed into the everglades a few years ago.

[Brock Samson]

john denver

the kennedy kid and his wife

bill graham

there's a saying in the newspaper biz that says that aircraft accidents comes in threes...

to be cont... 

[Ponch ®]

they should have taken up A-Rod with them. That guy can't hit anything....

[Brock Samson]

well it's a bit more then i expected really... 


http://www.celebratetoday.com/airceleb.html

[Ponch ®]

this list is easier to read and larger:

from wikipedia

Business

    * John Bauer, 1998, CEO of Dynaweld.
    * Carl August Baron von Gablenz, CEO of Lufthansa.
    * Daniel Lewin, 2001, Founder and CTO of Akamai.
    * Alfred Lowenstein, 1928, Belgian entrepreneur and financier.
    * Frank Pocher, 1997, CFO of ImmunoGen.
    * Wes Vance, 2003, COO of Diebold.
    * Frank Wells, 1994, President and COO of The Walt Disney Company.
    * John Whitney, 1998, Founder of Gaymar.
    * Matthew Harding, 1996, Vice-Chairman of Chelsea Football Club.
    * Jack O'Harra, 1996, Executive Producer of ABC Sports, in TWA Flight 800

[edit]

Entertainment

    * Aaliyah, 2001, actress and singer
    * Anna Jantar, 1980, Polish singer
    * Audie Murphy, 1971, actor
    * Berry Berenson, 2001, actress, photographer, and widow of actor Anthony Perkins; passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001.
    * Bill Graham, 1991, rock impresario
    * Bruce Geller, 1978, TV producer/creator, Mission: Impossible
    * Buddy Clark, 1949, singer
    * Buddy Holly, 1959, singer
    * Carlos Gardel, 1935, Argentinian singer
    * Carole Lombard, 1942, actress
    * Cassie Gaines, 1977, musician, Lynyrd Skynyrd
    * Dean Paul Martin, 1987, actor, singer and son of Dean Martin
    * Fanny Cano, 1983, Mexican actress, during collision of Iberia and Avianca jetliners, Barajas International Airport, Madrid
    * Frank Tallman III, 1978, stuntman
    * Ginette Neveu, 1949, French classical violinist
    * Glenn Miller, 1944, Big Band leader
    * Grace Moore, 1947, opera singer
    * Graham "Shirley" Strachan, 2001, singer, Skyhooks
    * Guido Cantelli, 1956, orchestral conductor
    * Jacques Thibaud, 1953, French classical violinist
    * Jim Croce, 1973, singer
    * Jim Reeves, 1964, country music singer
    * John Denver, 1997, singer
    * Jud Strunk, 1981, singer, songwriter, comedian
    * Keith Green, 1982, contemporary Christian musician
    * Kyu Sakamoto, 1985, Japanese singer
    * Larry Shue, 1985, playwright
    * Leslie Howard, 1943, actor
    * Mamonas Assassinas, 1996, Brazilian rock band
    * Marcel Dadi, 1996, French musician on TWA Flight 800
    * Melanie Thornton, 2001, singer
    * Mike Todd, 1958, film producer
    * Otis Redding, 1967, singer
    * Pablo Santos, 2006, Mexican actor
    * Patsy Cline, 1963, country music singer
    * Pedro Infante, 1957, Mexican singer and actor
    * Peter Tomarken, 2006, former game show host, Press Your Luck
    * Philippa Schuyler, 1967, American, musician
    * Randy Rhoads, 1982, Rock and classical guitarist
    * Renny Ottolina,1978,venezuelan TV producer and entertainer
    * Ricky Nelson, 1985, actor and singer
    * Ritchie Valens, 1959, singer
    * Ronnie VanZant, 1977, member of Lynyrd Skynyrd
    * Stan Rogers, 1983, Canadian singer
    * Steve Gaines, 1977, musician, Lynyrd Skynyrd
    * Stevie Ray Vaughan, 1990, guitarist and singer
    * The Big Bopper, (Jiles Perry [J.P.] Richardson, Jr.), 1959, singer
    * Vic Morrow, 1982, actor
    * Wilbur Shaw, 1954, American racecar champion
    * Will Rogers, 1935, actor, humorist, singer
    * William Gardner Knight, 1998, actor
    * William Kapell, 1953, American classical pianist

[edit]

Politicians

    * A. P. Hamann, 1977, City Manager of San Jose, California, during the Tenerife disaster
    * Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai, 1997, prime minister of the anti-Taliban government of northern Afghanistan
    * Abdul Salam Arif, 1966, President of Iraq
    * Ahmed Ould Bouceif, 1979, Prime Minister of Mauritania
    * Alexander Lebed, 2002, Russian politician, governor of Krasnoyarsk
    * Amaro da Costa, 1980, Portugal
    * Arvid Lindman, 1936, Prime Minister of Sweden
    * Barthélemy Boganda, 1959, President of the Central African Republic
    * Boris Trajkovski, 2004, President of Macedonia
    * Bronson M. Cutting, 1935, US Senator from New Mexico
    * Carlos Menem Jr., 1995, first son of former Argentine president Carlos Menem.
    * Cecil Weeding, 1998
    * Lord Thomson, 1930, British Secretary of State for Air, in the R101 disaster
    * Cyprien Ntaryamira, 1994, President of Burundi
    * Dag Hammarskjöld, 1961, Secretary-General of the United Nations
    * de Lesseps Story Morrison, 1964, former Mayor of New Orleans
    * Donald Nutter, 1962, Governor of Montana
    * Džemal Bijedić, 1977, Premier of Yugoslavia
    * Earl Snell, 1947, Governor of Oregon
    * Edward Moss, 1964, aide of senator Ted Kennedy, who was also injured during accident
    * Ernest Lundeen, US Senator from Minnesota
    * Francisco Sá Carneiro, 1980, Prime Minister of Portugal
    * Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi, 2002, 12th & 13th Speaker of the Lok Sabha, India
    * George S. Mickelson, 1993, Governor of South Dakota
    * George W. Collins, 1972
    * Hale Boggs, 1972, US Congressman from Louisiana
    * Igor Farkhutdinov, 2003, Russian politician, governor of Sakhalin
    * Jaime Roldós Aguilera, 1981, President of Ecuador
    * James Waltermire, 1988, Secretary of State of Montana
    * Jerry Litton, 1976
    * Jerry Pettis, 1975, Representative from California
    * Joel Rakotomalala, 1976, Prime Minister of Madagascar
    * John Garang, 2005, Vice President of Sudan
    * John Heinz, 1991, US Senator from Pennsylvania
    * John Kristensen Brostuen, 1938, member of the North Dakota Senate
    * John Purroy Mitchell, 1918, former Mayor of New York City. First politician to die in an aviation-related accident.
    * John Tower, 1991, former US Senator from Texas
    * Juvénal Habyarimana, 1994, President of Rwanda
    * Larkin Smith, 1989
    * Larry McDonald, U.S. Congressman, 1983, aboard Korean Air Flight KAL-007
    * Leo Ryan, 1978, US Congressman from California, while attempting to flee Jim Jones' cult Peoples Temple at Jonestown, Guyana
    * Madhavrao Scindia, 2001, Indian politician
    * Maurice Connolly, 1921, former US Congressman from Iowa.
    * Mel Carnahan, 2000, Governor of Missouri
    * Mickey Leland, 1989
    * Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, 1988, President of Pakistan
    * Nick Begich, 1972, US Congressman from Alaska
    * Omar Torrijos, 1981, Panamanian dictator
    * Paul Wellstone, 2002, US Senator from Minnesota
    * Ramón Magsaysay, 1957, president of the Philippines
    * René Barrientos, 1969, President of Bolivia
    * Ron Brown, 1996, US Secretary of Commerce with over 30 others in Croatia
    * Samora Machel, 1986, President of Mozambique
    * Sanjay Gandhi, 1980, son of Indira Gandhi
    * Subhash Chandra Bose, 1945, leader of the Indian Congress
    * Thaddeus C. Sweet, 1928, US Congressman from New York.
    * William D. Byron, 1941, US Congressman from Maryland.
    * William Kirk Kaynor, 1929, US Congressman from Massachusetts.
    * Władysław Sikorski, 1943, Prime Minister of Poland

[edit]

[Ponch ®]

Royalty

    * Prince George, Duke of Kent, 1942
    * Prince Christopher of Hesse - 1943
    * Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Westrobothnia, 1947
    * Prince William of Gloucester, 1972

[edit]

Sports
[edit]

Individuals

    * "Ace" Garnet Bailey, September 11th, 2001, NHL player (passenger on the second plane to hit the World Trade Center)
    * Al Holbert, 1988, 24 Hours of Le Mans winner
    * Alan Kulwicki, 1993, NASCAR driver
    * Bill Barilko, 1951, NHL player
    * Bill McAfee, 1958, MLB player
    * Bo Rein, 1980, LSU Tigers football coach
    * Carlos Cruz, 1970, Dominican world boxing champion
    * Carlos Pace, 1977, Formula One driver
    * Charles Peete, 1956, MLB player
    * Cory Lidle, 2006, MLB player
    * Davey Allison, 1993, NASCAR driver (helicopter crash)
    * Fred C. Miller, 1954, Milwaukee Brewers director
    * Graham Hill, 1975, Formula One driver
    * Hansie Cronje, 2002, South African cricket captain
    * Harald Ertl, 1982, Motoring journalist and Formula One driver
    * Irv Medlinger, 1975, MLB player
    * Jim Harding, 1991, MLB player
    * Ken Hubbs, 1964, MLB player
    * Knute Rockne, 1931, Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coach
    * Marcel Cerdan, 1949, French world boxing champion
    * Mark Goodwin, 1925, MLB player
    * Néstor Chávez, 1969, Venezuelan MLB player
    * Nick Vanos, (1987) NBA player, Phoenix Suns
    * Nile Kinnick, 1943, American football player
    * Payne Stewart, 1999, champion golfer
    * Rafael Osuna, Mexican tennis player
    * Roberto Clemente, 1972, Puerto Rican MLB player
    * Robinson Steward, 2001, American, Business CEO, In the MD-87 Disaster
    * Rocky Marciano, 1969, former world boxing champion
    * Ron Flockhart, 1962, 24 Hours of Le Mans winner
    * Thurman Munson, 1979, MLB player
    * Tom Gastall, 1956, MLB player
    * Tony Bettenhausen, Jr, 2000, CART driver/owner
    * Tony Brise, 1975, Formula One driver
    * Tony Lema, 1966, champion golfer
    * Wilbur Shaw, 1954, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner

[edit]

Collective

    * Cuban National Fence Team,1976 all team, trainers and coach, terrorist attack, bomb exploted on a DC-8 of Cubana de Aviación, Barbados (see Cubana Flight 455)
    * Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football players, 1960, 16 members of the team and six others
    * Czechoslovak national ice hockey team members, 1949, 6 players, English Channel
    * University of Evansville basketball team, 1977, 29 players, staff and fans
    * Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team, 2004, 10 people associated with the team, including family, team crew, and pilots
    * Italian A.C. Torino football squad, 1949, almost the entire team (see Superga air disaster)
    * Manchester United football club, 23 players, staff and associates, 1958 (see Munich air disaster)
    * Marshall University football team, 1970, 35 players
    * Oklahoma State University, 2001, ten people associated with men's basketball team (including two players)
    * Puerto Rico national women's volleyball team, 1970, most members of the team (on the same flight as Carlos Cruz)
    * Surinam professional football team, fourteen players of an ad hoc, at Zanderij airport, Paramaribo
    * Uruguay's Stella Maris rugby team, 1972, 29 of 45 team members (see Andes flight disaster)
    * USAC, eight series officials April 1978, returning from auto race in Trenton, New Jersey
    * US Olympic boxing team, 1980, all team members except for Bobby Czyz, Marvis Frazier and Lee Roy Murphy
    * US figure skating entire team, 1961, on Sabena Flight 548
    * Orfeon Universitario,1976, the entire Choral Group of Venezuelan Central University, at Azores Island, Portugal
    * Wichita State University, 1970, 31 players, coaches and supporters, at Colorado
    * Zambia national football team members, 1993

[edit]

Others

    * Roald Amundsen, explorer
    * Tomas Bata, founder of Bata Shoes company
    * Gary Caradori, 1990, investigating Lawrence King and Franklin Community Credit Union
    * Muhammad bin Laden, father of Osama bin Laden
    * Salem bin Laden, half-brother of Osama bin Laden
    * Teddy Ebersol, son of Dick Ebersol
    * Mohamed Samir Ferrat, 1998, associate of Ron Brown[1][2]
    * Herschell Friday, 1994, Clinton fundraiser
    * Matthew Harding, 1996, vice-chairman of Chelsea Football Club
    * Dorothy Hunt, 1972, wife of E. Howard Hunt
    * Antonio Juarbe Poll, 1979, Puerto Rican businessman
    * Joseph LaMotta, noted chef, son of Jake LaMotta
    * Peter Mueller, camper at Culver Academies
    * Alexander Onassis, son of Aristotle Onassis
    * Lionel Poilâne, 2002, French baker and entrepreneur
    * C. Victor Raiser II, 1992, Clinton fundraiser[3]
    * Lance Reventlow, 1972, entrepreneur and racecar driver
    * Quentin Roosevelt, son of Theodore Roosevelt
    * Samantha Smith, young activist
    * Robert Smithson, Earthworks artist
    * Thanikaimoni, Indian Palynologist
    * John T. Walton, son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton
    * Hugh Ward, 1964, PI working with Guy Bannister
    * Charles Orde Wingate, 1944, soldier and founder of the Chindits

[edit]

Kennedy family

    * Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, 1999, wife of John F. Kennedy Jr.
    * John F. Kennedy, Jr., 1999, son of John F. Kennedy
    * Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., 1944, older brother of John F. Kennedy
    * Kathleen Agnes Kennedy Cavendish, 1948, younger sister of John F. Kennedy
    * Lauren Bessette, 1999, sister of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and sister-in-law of John Jr. and Carolin

[4402tuff4u]

There's that catcher for the Yankees - Munson (?) too.

I was kind of inconsiderate but there was the instructor too who died too and he was someones son, possibly father and husband. Sorry!


I can somewhat understand the mistake he made. That area is very narrow and as you head north on the East River, La Guardia's airspace creeps up very quick on your right and you have NYC skyline/buildings on your left, so you have to make a "U" turn. You better be all the way east of the corridor for a left turn or west of the corridor for a right turn - not in the center to clear the buildings or avoid La Guardia's TCA airspace. Well guess what, as he made his left bank turn he must of been in the middle somewhere and distracted by something and being in the cockpit you feel like you can clear the turn, but guess what, if you have a strong tail wind, that's going to put you much closer and quicker to the object than you think!! By the time you notice that you are not going to clear the turn, it's too late! I could understand making that error with a high wing airplane like a Cessna, but a low wing, where your visibility is fairly good, is kind of hard to comprehend. In this airspace area you are flying below 1,000 feet (TCA starts at 1,200' -big jets flying overhead), basically flying eye level with some of these buildings!

[Brock Samson]

sad but i guess it was a sudden major malfunction...
Sad to think about all the "Stars" that have died in aircraft over the years...
no small number...

Like who?

I can think of John Denver - who else?

ok shakey?..

this made me think of another plane crash,.. by no means "accidental"
that led to a genocide, I didnt see on the list/s above...

http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/2004/rwanda.html

[Shakey]

Well, that should just about cover it!   

Now, what about automobile accidents?

[Johnny SixPack]

Well, that should just about cover it!   

Now, what about automobile accidents?

Cliff Burton

[Shakey]

Well, that should just about cover it!   

Now, what about automobile accidents?

Cliff Burton

Who the hell is Cliff Burton?  Tim's Brother?

[694spdRT]

I see Vic Morrow on the list. He wasn't really killed in a helicopter but by the blades of one when it crashed while filming on the set of a movie. Two children were killed also and yes it was caught on tape.

BTW: He was the cop in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry that was flying around in the helicopter.  

[Brock Samson]

yeah i was thinking about that Vic Morrow Irony too.. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliff_Burton

[Johnny SixPack]

Well, that should just about cover it!   

Now, what about automobile accidents?

Cliff Burton

Who the hell is Cliff Burton?  Tim's Brother?

The original bassist for Metallica. 

[Shakey]

I see Vic Morrow on the list. He wasn't really killed in a helicopter but by the blades of one when it crashed while filming on the set of a movie. Two children were killed also and yes it was caught on tape.

BTW: He was the cop in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry that was flying around in the helicopter.  

The miserable guy that yelled at all of his coworkers.   

[Ponch ®]

yeah i was thinking about that Vic Morrow Irony too.. 

here's a pretty good (but lengthy) read on that.

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/not_guilty/twilight_zone/1.html