Plane W/cody Lidle Crashed Into Ny Building

[Poolzer]

Surprised no one posted about this earlier..

NEW YORK – A small plane with New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle aboard crashed into a 50-story condominium tower Wednesday on Manhattan's Upper East Side, killing at least four people, authorities said.
Fighter jets were sent aloft over U.S. cities as a precaution in case the incident was part of a terrorist attack, the Pentagon said.

The twin-engine plane came through a hazy, cloudy sky and hit the 20th floor of The Belaire – a red-brick tower overlooking the East River, about five miles from the World Trade Center – with a loud bang, touching off a raging fire that cast a pillar of black smoke over the city and sent flames shooting from four windows on two adjoining floors.

Firefighters shot water streams of water at the flames from the floors below and put the blaze out in less than an hour.

Large crowds gathered in the street in the largely wealthy New York neighborhood, with many people in tears and some trying to reach loved ones by cell phone.

“I was worried the building would explode, so I got out of there fast,” said Lori Claymont, who fled an adjoining building in sweatpants.

Police said two people were killed, but they did not say whether they died aboard the plane or on the ground.

Young May Cha, a 23-year-old Cornell University medical student, said she was walking back from the grocery store down 72nd Street when she saw an object out of the corner of her eye.

“I just saw something come across the sky and crash into that building,” she said. Cha said there appeared to be smoke coming from behind the aircraft, and “it looked like it was flying erraticaly for the short time that I saw it.”

“The explosion was very small. I was not threatened for my life,” she added.

Richard Drutman, a professional photographer who lives on the 11th floor, said he was talking on the telephone when he felt the building shake.

“There was a huge explosion. I looked out my window, and saw what appeared to be pieces of wings, on fire, falling from the sky,” Drutman said. He and his girlfriend quickly evacuated the building.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was too early to determine what type of aircraft was involved, or what might have caused the crash.

The plane left New Jersey's Teterboro Airport, just across the Hudson River from the city, at 2:30 p.m., about 15 minutes before the crash, according to officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. But they said they did not where the aircraft was headed.

FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said the plane was apparently not in contact with air traffic controllers; pilots flying small planes by sight are not required to be in contact.

The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate.

[frantik2k3]

No one cares about the Yankees, that's why no posted before

But in all seriousness, it's a shame that that occurred today. Regrets go out to his family and all.

I was at work listening to radio updates come in and everyone seemed to be thinking it was another 9/11 day

[Poolzer]

read a post and a guy was playing with todays date 10/11/06 is 09/11/01 upside down and backwards and started a string of freaked out people...

[Leighton]

I was just about to post that too, Poolz! Cool pickup. The Madrid bombing was 911 days after 9/11 as well.

[King_Nothing]

Its a sad situation. After another hearbreaking loss in the early round of the playoffs, I heard that his plane was going in the direction of Yankee stadium so maybe he was going for one last flyover before going home.

And I never knew that today was 09/11/01 upside down, that IS kinda freaky!

[Mr.Metal]

It's a shame, although I am so happy to see the Yankees and their 200 million dollars payroll get their asses handed to them, when an athlete, specially as young as him, dies the way he did it's sad as hell. Didn't another yankee player also died some years ago on a plane crash where he was the pilot??

[King_Nothing]

It's a shame, although I am so happy to see the Yankees and their 200 million dollars payroll get their asses handed to them, when an athlete, specially as young as him, dies the way he did it's sad as hell. Didn't another yankee player also died some years ago on a plane crash where he was the pilot??

I think that was Herman Munsen or something like that in the early 80's?

Anyways, Im glad the Yanks are gone too, cant stand that club! But you cant help but stop and think along with the rest of the Yankees about how sad this really is.

[dmegametal#1]

first...sad to hear that..must been career Suicide since the Yanks got booted out of the playoffs??

[King_Nothing]

first...sad to hear that..must been career Suicide since the Yanks got booted out of the playoffs??

That thought crossed my mind too, but I really think it was just an accident.