Oct 12, 2006 12:37 pm US/Central
Officials Search For Clues In N.Y. High-Rise Crash
Yankees Devastated At Death Of Pitcher Cory Lidle; Crash Under Investigation
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Investigators are still trying to figure out why a small plane owned by Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashed into a luxury apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side Wednesday, killing Lidle and a flight instructor and showering fiery debris on the sidewalk and street below.
The small plane took off on a cloudy Wednesday afternoon at a suburban New Jersey airport, headed for New York City and took a route familiar to millions of tourists over the years: down the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty, on to the East River and then – tragedy.
"I saw this big red ball of flames shooting out of the window, out onto the ground and everybody is running," said Marla Kaufman.
Kauffman was one of the hundreds of witnesses, CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts reports. She had a flashback – New York City five years ago.
"You think terrorists, 9/11, right away, it was scary," she said.
While officials are certain this was an accident, investigators may have a hard time explaining how the crash happened, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.
Even after 9/11, the FAA permitted small planes and helicopters to fly along the Hudson and East rivers in New York as long as pilots remained at or below 800 feet. The pilots do not need to stay in touch with air traffic controllers. The pilots are responsible for judging the weather and watching out for other aircraft, tall towers and buildings.
Investigators studying the radar data suspect the plane was trying to turn around to avoid La Guardia airport. That might be hard to confirm since the aircraft had no black boxes.
Ironically, the plane was equipped with a parachute, meant to ease it to the ground in case of engine failure. There has been no suggestion, however, that the chute came into play in this case.
Lidle's passport was found on the street, according to a federal official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman
Hersman told Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen authorities still do not know who was flying the plane at the time of the crash.
"We do have information that the aircraft had been purchased in June by Cory Lidle," Hersman said. "We have information about Mr. Lidle's experience. We were able to recover a logbook and a medical certificate yesterday and we are looking at that. The NTSB does not know at this time who was on board the aircraft and we will not release names. The medical examiner will do that."
A federal official, speaking on condition of anonymity, had said that authorities had a report that the plane sent a distress call to the Federal Aviation Administration before the crash.
But Herman said at a late-night news conference, "we've asked the FAA, and they have reviewed some aircraft-control tapes. At this point, they have no indication that there was a mayday call."
The flight lasted about 20 minutes. A 911 call about a fire came in around 2:45 p.m.
Hersman said debris was scattered everywhere at the crash scene, including aircraft parts and headsets on the ground. The propeller separated from engine. Investigators also obtained the pilot's log book.
The Cirrus SR20 was manufactured in 2002 and purchased earlier this year, Hersman said. The small aircraft has four seats and is equipped with a parachute designed to let it float to earth in case of a mishap. The parachute apparently did not engage after the crash.
FAA records showed the plane was registered to Lidle, who had repeatedly assured reporters in recent weeks that flying was safe and that the Yankees — who were traumatized in 1979 when catcher Thurman Munson was killed in the crash of a plane he was piloting — had no reason to worry.
His teammates were stunned.
"Right now, I am really in a state of shock," Jason Giambi said in a statement. "I have known Cory and his wife Melanie for over 18 years and watched his son grow up. We played high school ball together and have remained close throughout our careers. We were excited to be reunited in New York this year and I am just devastated to hear this news."
On Sunday, the day after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs, Lidle cleaned out his locker at Yankee Stadium and said he planned to fly back to California, making a few stops. Lidle had reserved a room for Wednesday night at the historic Union Station hotel in downtown Nashville, Tenn., hotel spokeswoman Melanie Fly said.
Family and friends converged on Lidle's home in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora, Calif., where he and his family moved about six years ago.
"This is a tragedy for everybody involved," said his mother-in-law Mary Varela, her eyes welling with tears.
Lidle's twin brother, Kevin, told CNN's "Larry King Live" the family was having a tough time.
"But what can you do? Somehow you hang in there and you get through it," he said. "I've had a lot of calls from friends and family, people calling and crying. And they've released some emotions, and I haven't done that yet. I don't know — I guess I'm in some kind of state of shock."
Lidle pitched with the Phillies before coming to the Yankees. He began his career in 1997 with the Mets and also pitched for Tampa Bay, Oakland, Toronto and Cincinnati.
Lidle's $6.3 million, two-year contract, signed with the Phillies in November 2004, contained a provision saying the team could get out of paying the remainder if he were injured or killed while flying a plane. Because the regular season is over, Lidle already had received the full amount.
The crash 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 hospitals, most of them firefighters. Their conditions were not disclosed.
Dr. Parviz Benhuri said his wife, Ilana, was home when the plane hit their window, breaking the glass and spewing flames.
"She told me she saw the window coming out and she ran. She's in shock. She's lucky she made it. It's a miracle," he told The New York Times.
The military scrambled fighter jets over New York and other major city immediately after the crash. Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press military officials knew it likely wasn't a terrorist act "about a half an hour after it happened."
"My first reaction when I saw an airplane going into a building in New York City was, 'Oh no, we've got another 9/11,"' he said.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
