A single-engine plane crashed into an Upper East Side high-rise Wednesday, killing two people, raining debris on the sidewalks below and rattling New Yorkers' nerves exactly one month after the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
The two deaths were confirmed by Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office. There was no word yet on injuries linked to the crash on an overcast October afternoon, which sent thick black smoke soaring above the city skyline and flames shooting out of apartments above the tony neighborhood.
Fire officials tell 1010 WINS that two bodies were found on the street after the crash.
A law enforcement official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity, said New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was on the plane. And Federal Aviation Administration records showed the plane was registered to the athlete.
On Sunday, the day after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs, Lidle cleaned out his locker at Yankee Stadium and talked about his interest in flying. He explained to reporters the process of getting a pilot's license, and said he intended to fly back to California in several days and planned to make a few stops.
Large crowds gathered at the crash scene, with many people in tears and others trying to reach loved ones by cell phone. Rain started pouring at the scene at around 4 p.m., and people gazed up at the smoke and fire as they covered their heads with plastic bags. Mayor Michael Bloomberg went to the site, where parts of the plane fell to the ground.
"I just saw something come across the sky and crash into that building,'' said Young May Cha, 23, a Cornell University medical student who was walking along 72nd Street. "There was fire, debris... The explosion was very small.''
Christine Monaco, a New York spokeswoman for the FBI, said there was no indication of terrorism.
Cha said it appeared the plane was "flying erractically'' before it slammed into The Belaire Condo, where apartments sell for more than $1 million. Residents of the condo and the building next door were evacuated as thick black smoke wafted above the city skyline, and flames shot from the apartments where the plane crashed.
"I was worried the building would explode, so I got out of there fast,'' said Lori Claymont, who fled the adjoining building in sweat pants.
The aircraft struck the 40th floor of the building on East 72nd Street, igniting a five-alarm fire in the building.
The small private aircraft, with four seats, took off from New Jersey's Teterboro Airport around 2:30 p.m. A federal aviation official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing, said the plane was a Cirrus SR20 -- an aircraft equipped with a parachute designed to let it float to earth in case of a mishap.
The plane had flown around the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, then headed up the East River corridor before it slammed in the building, authorities said.
"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.''
Fighter planes were scrambled over an several cities across the country in the aftermath of the crash, despite the quick assurances that it was nothing more than an accident. ``We see this as a prudent measure at this time,'' said Sgt. Claudette Hutchinson, a spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado Springs, Colo.
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