Comments on Uh...

not this crap again.

October Surprise!

Drudge says it's a helicopter.

(10-11) 12:06 PDT New York (AP) --

A small plane crashed into a high-rise on the Upper East Side, setting off a fire and startling New Yorkers, police said.

Fire Department spokeswoman Emily Rahimi said an aircraft struck struck the 20th floor of a building on East 72nd Street. Witnesses said the crash caused a loud noise, and burning and falling debris was seen. Flames were seen shooting out of the windows. Video from the scene showed at least three apartments in the high rise fully engulfed in flames.

There was no immediate word on any deaths or injuries.

It was not immediately known if it was a terrorist act.

Now confirmed as a helicopter in distress--suggesting it was an accidental crash...

helicopter makes sense.. planes in distress can glide to a relatively safe crash site, helicopters just fall out of the sky.

i see no reason to assume this is anything more than an accident.

I'm here in NYC and we are getting reports from people who witnessed the crash.
People are crowding the scene and digitally photgraphing the whole event.
The smoke is visable from Queens. This is crazy.

CNN is also reporting that the building, at E 72nd and York Avenue, is "Near Rockefefeller Center", so consider the source.

I'm with Nick. Some R decided to make us all vewy vewy afwaid again.

then again, maybe it was mark foley trying to fly into some ex-page's bedroom.

40th and 41st floors were hit, not 10th or 20th as some are reporting.

Why do people post news updates in the comment section of Slog? If we're online, aren't we all capable of finding this information on our own?

Faux has the best coverage. It's sensational.

NY 1 is reporting no fatalities or injuries so far. They are interviewing folks from Roosevelt Island who directly faced the crash. They all seem to be saying it looks like an accident.

I keep the station on in the background all day, so this was really shocking.

My first thought too, unfortunately,was October surprise.

HOLY SHIT! 10/11...JUST LIKE 9/11 EXCEPT A MONTH LATER!!!

THE ISLAMOFASCISTS ARE COMING! SECURE THE BOARDERS! DUCKTAPE UP YOUR HOMES! PUT ON YOUR GAS MASKS! LOAD YOUR GUNS! JAIL ALL ISLAMACISTS AND PINK-LEFT-WING TRAITERS! SUSPEND THE BILL OF RIGHTS! PREPARE THE NUKES AND AIM FOR MECCA! KICK OUT THE U.N.! JAIL ALL THE ILLEGALS!

THE SKY IS FALLING!

No doubt this incident will now be added to our permanent state of national emergency.

Everyone panic yourselves retarded!!

You don't even have to go back to the Empire State Building crash. Remember right after 911, that kid killed himself by flying his plane into an office building somewhere down south?

I just want to impress you Doug.

It is the end days after all.

I'm running out of time to turn you on.

"DUCKTAPE YOUR HOMOS" ???
Exactly WHAT are you into?

As to Le Surprise de Octobre, I'm guessing accident, but as Cheney&Rove Assoc. LLC are renowned opportunists I'll bet they get some mileage out of it. Especially on local stumps.

Now they are saying two dead. This is so strange.

It's interesting reading through the different news sites. MSNBC and CNN both say the FBI does not suspect this as a terrorist attack, whereas Fox News says nothing about that, fox also quotes someone saying that they were filled with terror and mentions september 11th twice. Looks like the spin cycle has already started running.

The local news stations here are covering this pretty calmly and stressing they don't suspect terrorism. I need to flip to CNN and compare coverage.

@PA6: ha! good point. I'm surprised they didn't say "Near the site of the WTC, so brutally attacked exactly 61 months ago."

@Ma'chell: well there's going to be some deaths. I doubt the people in the helicopter would've survived.

@Ryan: they'll need to put the spin cycle on high to try and get the Foley stain out of voters' minds. Worked so well in 2004. DNC convention? Raise the terror alert level!!! Code orange everybody!

@Stuff happens: that was in Miami. I thought the exact same thing when I heard about this. Although that was intentional/suicide, this looks to be an accident.

I think the conspiracy clearly is connected to the condo boom here in Seattle. Those were all $1 million-plus one bedrooms in the building that was struck.

Get on over here. We're calling for restricted airspace.

You mean "New York Times", not "New Times"... a little different from each other, they are.

MSNBC is reporting that Yankee Pitcher Cory Lidle was flying the plane that hit the building. His passport was found on the ground along with 2 bodies. Sad. Very sad.

I highly doubt the GOP is going to benefit from this, if anything the opposite, given that

a) apparently all that air traffic vigilance in Manhattan was for nil. You would have figured that no aircraft would just go undetected since 9/11

b) they can't even confirm what type of aircraft crashed into the building last I checked. Nice investigation work, people.

This is no suprise, since anyone with talent left in the security department has left the Bush administration post 9/11 one by one.

I always knew the Yankees were terrorists.

What an unexpected turn. Sad for Cory.

It's really sad that the first confirmation of the exact plane involved had to come from the Yankees manager and not anyone who is a trained expert in disaster control or anything.

Doink,

You are such an asshole.

I truly wish there was more of this kind of thing. I miss the adrenaline rush of the days after 9/11.

The Curse of A-Rod.

I bet ex-Mariner Arthur Rhodes is feeling pretty dumb right now. His words, after Lidle was traded from Philly to the Yankees:

"[Lidle] is a scab. When he started, he would go 51/3 innings and (the bullpen) would have to win the game for him. The only thing Cory Lidle wants to do is fly around in his airplane and gamble. He doesn't have a work ethic. After every start, he didn't run or lift weights. He would sit in the clubhouse and eat ice cream. When he pitched, we busted our tails for him, he shouldn't say that, he shouldn't say anything like that because he is a scab. He crossed the line when guys like me, Flash (Tom Gordon) and (Mike) Lieberthal were playing. He is a replacement player."

who cares.

Sounds to me like Rhodes was right.

Hey Doug,

How, exactly, does Cory Lidle's death affirm anything that Arthur Rhodes said about him?

Well, this part was confirmed: "...Lidle wants to fly around in his airplane."

"The only thing Cory Lidle wants to do is fly around in his airplane and gamble." He gambled. And lost.

Last time I checked, Amy Kate, most people who need to travel more than 600 miles and have the financial means choose to airplanes over other forms of transportation.

So by your logic, Doug, every person who uses airplanes is also "gambling"? And you would say the same about all people who die crashes? That they were gamblers and losers?

...and Gurldoggie's tenuous grip on reality has officially gone bye-bye.

Have you never heard of, say, basejumping? If you want an adrenaline rush, get a dangerous hobby. Or at least kick it with a police scanner, a comfy chair and a big bag of chips.

Otherwise, I'm so happy for you that the sketchy reports of this guy's death made a pleasant blip in your flatlined day. Cheers, wackjob.

I'd say piloting a small plane in bad weather above the Manhattan skyline is a bit of a gamble. Riding coach in Row 27 with a plastic cup of Merlot is less so.

According to the NYT, lowflying aircraft aren't required to file flightplans and so the air traffic controllers had no idea that he was up there. Hmmm.

I blame the steroids.

No one else gets a buzz from anticipating mass destruction and the end of the world? Color me skeptical, I just don't think I'm the only one with fiery fantasies.

I think this is an awesome way for an over-paid athlete to end their career. I hope it becomes a trend. It sure beats another adultery scandal or some over-hyped drug charge.

Amateur pilots flying VFR in small planes shouldn't be allowed over Manhattan, full stop.

Hey Gurldoggie:

you wouldn't miss the post-9-11 "adrenaline rush" if you just got into sports.

Bill

So planes can still crash into buildings in NY. So much for all that security in the sky over NY.