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2006 New York City Cirrus SR20 crash

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October 11, 2006 New York City plane crash
File:100 1502.JPG
The building after the fire was extinguished.
Occurrence
Date11 October 2006
SummaryCollision with structure (cause unknown)
SiteThe Belaire, New York City
Aircraft typeCirrus SR20
OperatorPrivate
RegistrationN929CD
Crew1 pilot, 1 flight instructor
Fatalities2
SurvivorsNone

On October 11, 2006, a Cirrus SR20 general aviation plane crashed in New York City at 2:42 p.m. local time. The aircraft struck the north side of an apartment building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, causing a fire in two apartments on the 30th and 31st floors (numbered 40 and 41),[1][2] which was extinguished within one hour.[3]

Two people were in the aircraft when it struck the building: New York Yankees baseball pitcher Cory Lidle[4] and certified flight instructor Tyler Stanger;[5][6] both bodies have been recovered. Twenty-one people were injured, including 11 firefighters. According to the FAA, the Cirrus SR20 aircraft, tail number N929CD, was pending registration to Lidle,[7] whose passport was reportedly found on the sidewalk after the crash.[8]

Details

Location of plane crash on New York City's Upper East Side.

The airplane, misreported as a helicopter in some early reports[9], struck around the 30th floor, at Apartment 40F (resulting in confusion regarding the floor) of The Belaire building at 524 East 72nd Street. The Belaire is a 40-story condominium tower containing 183 apartments, many of which sell for more than $1 million,[10] as well as a health club, garage and pool.[11][12] Among the residents is novelist Carol Higgins Clark, who lives on the 38th floor. CBS Radio interviewed her after she returned to the building to find the commotion outside.

The Belaire is also home to office & laboratory space, sports injury rehabilitation areas, and guest facilities for family members of patients at the Hospital for Special Surgery, to which it is connected via a causeway on the third floor. No patients were in the high-rise building and operations at the hospital across the street were not affected, hospital spokeswoman Phyllis Fisher said.[2]

WNBC-TV reports that the aircraft departed from Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey. There is no indication that the aircraft's Ballistic Recovery Systems emergency parachute (designed to bring the plane down safely) actually deployed during the crash.[13][14] New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said the plane circled the Statue of Liberty before flying north up the East River and disappearing from radar near the Queensboro Bridge. The FAA confirmed that the plane was flying under visual flight rules (VFR) and attracted no special attention from air traffic controllers or NORAD before the crash. The aircraft took a hard 90-degree turn before it hit the building.[15] First responders on the scene indicated that an emergency call was made from the plane concerning fuel problems.[4]

Officials were initially concerned about people in the building, where three apartments were engulfed in flames.[15] They also wondered whether its structural integrity was compromised.[15] There were also reports of debris, luggage and fuel falling to street level and having started a fire there.

The area along the East River is considered a crowded and dangerous flight area, under visual flight rules, but ending abruptly in the traffic control zone for LaGuardia Airport. An initial response has been to impose traffic control over all planes flying over New York below 1500 feet altitude; Governor Pataki supported making this permanent.[16]

Responses to the crash

The crash has garnered extra attention because of similarities to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. However, the FBI has denied that the crash was an act of terrorism.[17] U.S. officials said that NORAD scrambled fighter aircraft over numerous American and Canadian[3] cities, including Ottawa from CFB Bagotville, for Combat Air Patrol, and that U.S. President George W. Bush was informed about the situation, but that these were precautionary measures only.[15]

News of the crash caused a momentary 0.4% drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) at the New York Stock Exchange[18] until the markets determined there was no financial impact to the crash. The DJIA regained its prior level in under an hour.

File:100 1498.JPG
Photo from Manhattan showing the building (right) shortly before the fire was extinguished

LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport did not experience delays from the crash.

Date Concerns

The date in US terms is 10/11 (11/10). Exactly 1 month after the 5th anniversary of 9/11. In another coincidence 9/11/01 mirrored horizontally and vertically is 10/11/6

References

  1. ^ "Lidle, Passenger Die in NYC Plane Crash". October 12, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ See CNN video, "flames ravish apartments". [1]
  3. ^ "Yankees pitcher presumed dead after plane crashes into high-rise in New York City". WTNH. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  4. ^ a b "Steinbrenner: Yankees pitcher dead in plane crash". CNN. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  5. ^ "Yankees' Lidle killed in plane crash". MLB.com. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-12.
  6. ^ "2nd victim died living his dream". October 12, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "N-Number Inquiry Results: N929CD". Federal Aviation Administration. 2006-05-01. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  8. ^ "Lidle dies as plane crashes into Manhattan high-rise". ESPN. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  9. ^ "Aircraft crashes into high-rise in NYC". Associated Press. WTVG. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  10. ^ "Small plane hits Manhattan building". Associated Press. The Washington Times. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  11. ^ "Belaire Condos". CondoCompany.com. 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  12. ^ "Yankees pitcher dies as plane hits NYC building". NBC News. MSNBC. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  13. ^ Kepner, Tyler (2006-09-05). "In Lidle, Yanks Have Extra Pitcher and Backup Pilot". The New York Times. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  14. ^ Colleen, Long (2006-10-11). "Yankees pitcher presumed dead after plane crashes into high-rise in New York City". Associated Press. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  15. ^ a b c d 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).
  16. ^ McGeehan, Patrick (2006-10-12). "Lidle's Plane Traveled Along Feared Path". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-10-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Aircraft hits New York building". BBC News. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  18. ^ Fu, Scarlet (2006-10-11). "U.S. Stocks Extend Drop on Report of Small Plane Crash in N.Y." Bloomberg. Retrieved 2006-10-11. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

See also

Wikinews has related news:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to October 11, 2006 New York City plane crash.
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