70 Years Ago Tuesday: 19 Killed When Plane Crashes Into Empire State Building
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Tuesday marked the 70th anniversary of a horrific incident, in which a small military plane crashed into the Empire State Building and left 19 people dead.
On the morning of Saturday, July 28, 1945, the Army Air Corps pilot crashed his Mitchell B-25 bomber into the 78th and 79th floor of the Empire State Building, CBS News recalled.
A British Movietone newsreel from the time said the pilot had taken off from Bedford, Massachusetts, and was heading for what is now known as Newark Liberty International Airport. But he misjudged his route in heavy fog, and crashed into the skyscraper, according to the newsreel.
The plane crashed into the Empire State Building at about 200 mph and smashed through seven walls, according to the newsreel.
The three crewmembers and 13 others were killed instantly, and a body was found seven stories down, according to the newsreel.
One of the plane's propellers was found embedded in the wall, and an elevator plunged down 80 floors, according to the newsreel. One of the plane engines crashed almost 1,000 feet below, while the other landed on the penthouse on the roof of a 12-story building a street over, according to the newsreel.
Other parts of the plane landed on 34th Street, but no one was injured there, according to the newsreel.
Two days later on Monday, the Empire State Building was open again, according to the newsreel.
