7/6/13 – An Interesting Local Event in 2006

It was pouring with rain today and as the ground was becoming saturated local flooding was gathering pace. The news coverage was as usual ‘calamatising’ the weather and crews were out and about all over NYC giving us the latest updates on the ensuing ‘disaster’. So we spent the day packing our possessions in readiness for our trek home only to realise – no surprises actually – we were going to need more suitcases. What a disgrace – I was now a blogger who despite banging on for six months about no real need for material possessions found myself with too much luggage to bring home! Upon further investigation – for the record it was all gifts for the children and Peter’s stuff!

But now to the interesting topic for this entry….. When we first rented our apartment, Cameron had ‘googled’ the location and found out that Frank Sinatra had once lived just across the street at 524 E 72^nd. More interestingly, Cam discovered that Sinatra’s former ‘penthouse’ apartment in original condition was now for sale at $10.9 million. Unsurprisingly, we were a little short of the asking price so didn’t put in an offer.

But we have often wondered who did buy the place, because as we look out at the east River from our bedroom window every morning it is clear that there is someone up there enjoying those fabulous views (and the traffic noise and pollution from the FDR Freeway). We used to be rather envious of the new owners of that apartment, despite the noise and the pollution, until we found out from our building supervisor (Alex Duarte) that as far as he was concerned their building was ‘cursed’. Alex explained that he had narrowly avoided ‘death by light plane’ when an aircraft flew into the building just below the Sinatra apartment in October 2006.  

According to CNN, “On October 12, 2006 Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor were killed Wednesday when the 34-year-old ballplayer's plane crashed into a high-rise apartment building in New York, city and baseball team officials said. No residents at the Belaire Condominiums at 524 E. 72nd Street near the East River were injured. Two bodies and Lidle's passport were found in the street, responders told CNN."It looks like the plane just flew into someone's living room," witness Sarah Steiner told CNN.

There was a distress call from the pilot involving a problem with fuel, government sources close to the investigation told CNN. The Cirrus Design SR-20 four seater had originated from Teterboro Regional Airport in New Jersey at about 2:30 p.m. and was on radar as it circled the Statue of Liberty and headed north up the East River, according to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But radar lost contact, he said, when the plane reached the 59th Street Bridge.

Twelve minutes after the plane left Teterboro, the New York Fire Department was notified of the crash. The plane had smacked into the 39th and 40th floors of the Belaire condominium building, then crashed to the street below, narrowly missing one Alex Duarte who had been working on the footpath in front of 527 E 72^nd and setting fire to at least one unit in the building as well as burning on the ground. Bloomberg said two people were in one of the apartments when the plane struck, and both ran out into the hallway. They, along with others in the building, were all safely evacuated, he said. Since 9/11 in 2001 the NY fire department constantly practices for these events, so the fire was able to be completely put out by about 4:30 p.m. More than 160 fire fighters from 39 units responded to the four-alarm fire. It took the crews about 45 minutes to control the blaze that shot about 10 stories to the top of the building. Photos from a freelance photographer showed a wing and debris from the plane on the ground. An engine was found on one of the floors, Mayor Bloomberg said. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the East River is in a flight corridor governed by Visual Flight Rules, meaning that pilots must stay over the river and climb no higher than 1,100 feet. The pilot was not required to file a flight plan, she said. Fears of terrorism prompted a quick response. North American Aerospace Defense Command Admiral Tim Keating said NORAD had put fighter aircraft into the air over numerous U.S. cities as a precaution, but he didn't name the cities.  The Federal Aviation Administration, also as a precaution, banned aircraft flying below 1,500 feet and within a mile of the building after the crash.

Our building supervisor Alex told us that he was on the street carrying out the trash at the time of the crash. When he heard the impact and subsequent explosion, he looked up only to see the burning wreckage plummeting to the ground. Luckily he jumped into the basement alcove as the flaming debris hit the pavement exactly where he had just been. Quick thinking and a lucky escape for Alex but for him just another day in NYC – ‘you never know what’s going to happen each day when you live in NYC’!

After hearing this dramatic story the dark brown patch on the red brick building across the road made perfect sense!    

NBA Finals playoffs – Game 1 - Spurs 92 d Heat 88.

Not this game but a great block anyways!