Plane crashes into New York Building

[K.S.H]

Just hit the news, see HERE
Seems the pilot was an american yankee baseball player called Cory Lidle, Edit - Confirmed now

[jackyalex]

oh yes ive just seen it on the news,yet another skyscraper hit,does anyone know how many have been killed

[K.S.H]

Some reports say 2 others say 4, it was an apartment building that was hit

[accymel]

Suggested 2 people have been killed but that could be more being a residential building, blimey 9/11 again but they are suggesting weather conditions.

[Bazf]

NEW YORK - A small plane carrying New York Yankee Cory Lidle slammed into a 50-story skyscraper Wednesday, apparently killing the pitcher and a second person in a crash that rained flaming debris onto the sidewalks and briefly raised fears of another terrorist attack.

A law enforcement official in Washington said Lidle — an avid pilot who got his license during last year's offseason — was aboard the single-engine aircraft when it plowed into the 30th and 31st floors of the high-rise on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said both people aboard were killed.
Lidle's passport was found on the street, according to a federal official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately clear who was at the controls and who was the second person aboard.

The plane, flying north over the East River, along the usual flight corridor, came through a hazy, cloudy sky and hit The Belaire — a red-brick tower overlooking the river — with a loud bang. It touched 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 put the blaze out in less than an hour.
At least 21 people were taken to the hospital, most of them firefighters. Their conditions were not disclosed.
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.


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 said he intended to fly back to California in several days and planned to make a few stops. Lidle discussed the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. and how he had read the accident report on the NTSB Web site.

Lidle, acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies on July 30, told The New York Times last month that his four-seat Cirrus SR20 was safe. "The whole plane has a parachute on it," Lidle said. "Ninety-nine percent of pilots that go up never have engine failure, and the 1 percent that do usually land it. But if you're up in the air and something goes wrong, you pull that parachute, and the whole plane goes down slowly."

[WillowTheWhisp]

This morning's news report said the other person in the plane was an instructor - didn't specify but I presumed flying instructor?

It must have been terrifying for those in the vicinity after what happened to the WTC. They probably thought it was happening all over again.

[magily]

It is very sad he leaves behind a wife and 6yr old boy. My own 9yr old son was upset as he is a yankee fan. He had watched them just a few weeks ago when they were here playing against the Toronto Blue Jays. Watching the news today most of the New Yorkers were terrified as initially with 9 11 they were told that it was just a small aircraft that had crashed into the wtc. Lucky that a lot more people wern't seriously hurt.