2006 New York City Cirrus SR20 crash explained

2006 New York City Cirrus SR20 crash
Type:Controlled flight into building
Occurrence Type:Accident
Site:Belaire Apartments, Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates:40.7662°N -73.9522°W
Occupants:2
Fatalities:2
Survivors:0
Aircraft Type:Cirrus SR20
Operator:Private
Tail Number:N929CD
Origin:Teterboro Airport
Teterboro, New Jersey
Ground Fatalities:0
Ground Injuries:21 (including 11 firefighters)
Total Fatalities:2
Total Injuries:21

On October 11, 2006, a Cirrus SR20 aircraft crashed into the Belaire Apartments in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, at about 2:42 p.m. EDT (18:42 UTC). The aircraft struck the north side of the building, causing a fire in several apartments,[1] [2] that was extinguished within two hours.[3]

Both people aboard the aircraft were killed in the accident: New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle[2] and his certificated flight instructor Tyler Stanger.[4] [5] Twenty-one people were injured, including eleven firefighters. An apartment resident, Ilana Benhuri, who lived in the building with her husband, was hospitalized for a month with severe burns incurred when the post-impact fire engulfed her apartment.[6] [7]

The Cirrus SR20 aircraft, tail number N929CD, was owned by Lidle.[8] On May 1, 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the probable cause of the crash was pilot error. The NTSB was unable to determine which person was flying the aircraft at the time of the crash.[9]

Flight

The aircraft departed from Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey, at 2:29 pm EDT (18:29 UTC). With the Yankees' season having come to an end four days prior, Lidle planned to fly to Nashville, Tennessee, where he had a hotel room booked for the night,[10] then to Dallas, Texas, and finally on to his home in California.[11] [12] [13]

Radar measurements show that, immediately before the crash, Lidle's aircraft was flying at 112 mph (180 km/h) at 700feet altitude[14] in the East River VFR corridor, an area which former NTSB official Peter Goelz described as "very tricky" due to its narrow width and frequent congestion.[15] [16] The VFR corridor ends abruptly at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island. Aircraft must receive an air traffic control clearance to proceed beyond the boundaries of the corridor, or else make a sharp U-turn and return the way they came. Lidle's plane flew north along the corridor almost to the end before executing a turn and hitting the north face of the building along the river.[16]

Crash

The airplane struck the Belaire, a 42-story condominium tower at 524 East 72nd Street,[17] nose-first at approximately 30 stories above the ground.[18] The plane hit the apartment owned by Dr. Parviz Benhuri and his wife Ilana,[7] the latter of whom was seated in the room when the plane crashed and, thus, sustained shrapnel injuries and burns. Her housekeeper was also present and helped her escape.[19] The engine landed in and set fire to the apartment of a woman who had suffered a previous freak accident—having been left comatose when a balloon at the 1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade knocked a piece of a lamppost onto her head—but the apartment was unoccupied at the time.[20]

The aircraft's Ballistic Recovery Systems emergency parachute, designed to bring the small plane down safely from altitudes above 500 ft, was not deployed.[21] The plane circled the Statue of Liberty before flying north up the East River and disappeared from radar near the Queensboro Bridge. It was flying under visual flight rules (VFR) and had attracted no special attention from air traffic controllers or NORAD before the crash. The aircraft took a hard U-shaped turn before it hit the building.[22]

Reactions

In an interview Lidle gave about a month earlier, he stated he had been a pilot for seven months and had flown about 95 solo hours.[23] The crash garnered extra attention because of superficial similarities to the September 11 attacks in New York City, which had occurred five years earlier. U.S. officials said that NORAD scrambled fighter aircraft over numerous American and Canadian cities for combat air patrol,[24] and that U.S. President George W. Bush was informed about the situation, but that these were precautionary measures only.[25] The FBI quickly announced there was no reason to suspect that the crash was an act of terrorism.[26]

LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport did not experience delays from the crash. Police cordoned off several blocks at the peak of the confusion, but subway and NY Waterway ferry services continued without interruption. The FAA initially imposed a temporary flight restriction on an area within one nautical mile (1.9 km) of the scene, from ground level to 1500feet altitude.[27] New York Governor George Pataki called for permanent restrictions,[16] [28] although mayor Michael Bloomberg opposed a permanent restriction.[28]

On October 13, 2006, two days after the crash, the FAA banned all fixed-winged aircraft from the East River corridor unless in contact with local air traffic control. The new rule, which took effect immediately, required all small aircraft (with the exception of helicopters and certain seaplanes) to seek the approval of and stay in contact with air traffic control while in the corridor. The FAA cited safety concerns, especially unpredictable winds from between buildings, as the reason for the change.[14]

Investigation

On October 11, the National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a six-member team from Washington, D.C. to New York City,[29] which arrived at the scene in the evening to take fuel samples and examine clues found in the debris. These included the aircraft's bent propeller, a charred memory chip, the undeployed parachute,[30] and Lidle's flight log book.[31]

The NTSB determined at a final hearing on May 1, 2007, that "the pilots' inadequate planning, judgment, and airmanship in the performance of a 180-degree turn maneuver inside of a limited turning space" caused the crash.[32] The investigation was unable to determine whether Lidle or his flight instructor Stanger was at the controls. Although there was 2100feet of space available, the aircraft used only about 1700feet of width to make the 180-degree turn—but this distance was effectively reduced to 1300feet by the 13kn easterly winds that day. A bank angle of at least 53 degrees would be required to successfully execute a 180-degree turn in this distance. If the required bank was not initiated early then, as the turn progressed, the bank angle would have needed to have been increased, possibly resulting in an aerodynamic stall. The investigation was unable to determine if the plane stalled at the time of the crash. An animation of the flight path combining radar data with a Coast Guard video of the East River was also presented.[9] [33] [34] [35]

A 2007 lawsuit brought by Lidle's family against the manufacturer of the aircraft, Cirrus Design, alleging a mechanical defect, was rejected by a jury in May 2011.[36]

Dramatization

It is featured in season 2, episode 4, of the TV show Why Planes Crash, in an episode called "Small Planes, Big Problem".

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Yankee Pitcher Dies as Plane Crashes Into NYC High-Rise . October 11, 2006 . . May 8, 2009 . December 2, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061202105722/http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=2555263&page=1 . live .
  2. News: Yankees pitcher killed in crash of small plane in Manhattan . October 12, 2006 . CNN . May 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090415025229/http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/11/plane.crash/index.html . April 15, 2009 . live.
  3. News: Yankees Player Among Two Killed In Small Plane Crash On Manhattan's UES . . October 11, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927003406/http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?&aid=63370 . September 27, 2007 .
  4. News: Feinsand . Mark . Yankees' Lidle killed in plane crash . MLB.com . October 11, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . December 2, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061202124741/http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061011&content_id=1708962&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb . live .
  5. News: Yaniv . Oren . Leo . Standora . 2nd victim died living his dream . October 12, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061029072634/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/461030p-387873c.html . October 29, 2006 . New York . Daily News.
  6. News: Woman Burned in NYC Plane Crash Released . Associated Press . . November 10, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110711022239/http://origin.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C228732%2C00.html . July 11, 2011.
  7. News: Barron . James . Manhattan Plane Crash Kills Yankee Pitcher . The New York Times . October 12, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . March 16, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140316133045/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/12/nyregion/12crash.html . live .
  8. Web site: N-Number Inquiry Results: N929CD . . May 1, 2006 . October 11, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061026103146/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNumSQL.asp?verified=1&NNumbertxt=929CD . October 26, 2006 . dead .
  9. Judgement Call: Lidle accident may lead to tighter N.Y.C. flight restrictions, Aviation Week & Space Technology, May 7, 2007, pg 92
  10. Web site: Lidle dies after plane crashes into NYC high-rise. ESPN. October 11, 2006. August 30, 2020. November 9, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201109020846/https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2621860. live.
  11. News: A look at Lidle's final hours . Newsday . October 13, 2006 . May 8, 2009.
  12. News: Granju . Katie . Plane that crashed into NYC high-rise headed to Tennessee . WBIR.com . October 12, 2006 . October 12, 2006.
  13. News: Nason . David . Not terror, but lack of rules terrifying . The Australian . October 13, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061031095120/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0%2C20867%2C20572353-2703%2C00.html . dead . October 31, 2006 . May 8, 2009.
  14. News: FAA restricts low-altitude flights along East River . SportsIllustrated.com . October 13, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061112220728/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/10/13/lidle.faa.ap/index.html . November 12, 2006.
  15. News: Hauser . Christine . Crash Raises Questions About Aviation Rules . The New York Times . October 12, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . May 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210502105651/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/12/nyregion/13airspacecnd.html . live .
  16. News: Lidle's Plane Traveled Along Feared Path . Patrick . McGeehan . Matthew L. . Wald . The New York Times . October 12, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . November 14, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121114153052/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/12/nyregion/12how.html . live .
  17. News: Small plane hits Manhattan building . Associated Press . The Washington Times . October 11, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061116024545/http://www.washtimes.com/national/20061011-030107-8393r.htm . November 16, 2006.
  18. News: Yanks Mourn Loss of Pitcher Killed in Plane Crash . WCBS/AP . October 12, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061120211739/http://wcbs880.com/pages/103029.php?contentType=4&contentId=221701 . November 20, 2006.
  19. News: Reliving horror . Tina. Moore. Dave. Goldiner. New York Daily News . October 13, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061023022221/http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/461343p-388066c.html . October 23, 2006.
  20. News: . Bad luck strikes twice for New York woman . November 19, 2023 . . October 14, 2006.
  21. News: Lidle's plane equipped with emergency parachute . Associated Press . . October 11, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . November 13, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061113080440/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2622200 . live .
  22. Web site: Aircraft Accident Report – Crash During Turn Maneuver . . October 11, 2006 . November 16, 2011 . November 8, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111108043905/http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/fulltext/AAB0702.html . live .
  23. News: Tyler . Kepner . In Lidle, Yanks Have Extra Pitcher and Backup Pilot . The New York Times . September 8, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . April 10, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090410041939/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/sports/baseball/08yankees.html . live .
  24. News: NY Yankee Cory Lidle killed in plane crash . . October 11, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070313184712/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061011/nyc_plane_061011/20061011?hub=CTVNewsAt11 . dead . March 13, 2007 . May 8, 2009.
  25. CNN International live television coverage, October 11, 2006
  26. News: Aircraft hits New York building . BBC News . October 11, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . February 4, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090204192959/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6042306.stm . live .
  27. http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/726-full.html#193428 New York Crash Aftermath.
  28. Web site: NYC high-rise plane crash probe yields more questions than answers . News 12 – Westchester . October 12, 2006 . December 27, 2022 . December 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221227200223/https://westchester.news12.com/nyc-high-rise-plane-crash-probe-yields-more-questions-than-answers-34903524 . live .
  29. NTSB Sends Team to Investigate Plane Crash Into Building in Manhattan . . October 11, 2006 . April 4, 2017 . April 6, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170406030647/https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NTSB_Sends_Team_to_Investigate_Plane_Crash_into_Building_in_Manhattan.aspx . live .
  30. News: Barry . Ellen . NYC Crash Puts Flight Path in Politicians' Sights . . October 13, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . October 9, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121009002759/http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/13/nation/na-plane13 . live .
  31. News: Toosi . Nahal . Investigators Comb Lidle Plane Debris . . October 12, 2006 . May 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061014145001/http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_4480661 . October 14, 2006.
  32. Web site: Crash During Turn Maneuver, Cirrus SR-20, N929CD . . May 1, 2007 . April 4, 2017 . April 30, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170430005553/https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AAB0702.aspx . live .
  33. Web site: Update on Cirrus Plane Crash in Manhattan, New York . . November 3, 2006 . April 4, 2017 . April 6, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170406033654/https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/Update_on_Cirrus_Plane_Crash_in_Manhattan_New_York.aspx . live .
  34. Web site: NTSB: Wind blew Lidle plane off course . Leslie . Miller . . November 3, 2006 . aviationpros.com . April 4, 2017 . April 5, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170405171143/http://www.aviationpros.com/news/10395537/ntsb-wind-blew-lidle-plane-off-course . live .
  35. Web site: NTSBgov . Board Meeting Animation – Crash During Turn Maneuver, Cirrus SR-20, N929CD . YouTube . National Transportation Safety Board . February 18, 2020 . May 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200527223808/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A8kNQc7iq8&gl=US&hl=en . live .
  36. Web site: Cirrus not to blame for fatal Lidle accident, jury says . Alyssa J. . Miller . May 24, 2011 . . May 26, 2011 . May 30, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110530173400/http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2011/110524cirrus_not_to_blame_for_lidle_accident.html . live .

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