1945 Empire State Building B-25 crash

Last updated
1945 Empire State Building B-25 crash
Empirestate540.jpg
The Empire State Building on fire following the crash
Accident
DateJuly 28, 1945 (79 years ago)
Summary Controlled flight into terrain (building) in inclement weather conditions (fog)
Site Empire State Building, New York City
40°44′54″N73°59′08″W / 40.74833°N 73.98556°W / 40.74833; -73.98556 (A Building)
Total fatalities14
Total injuries24
Aircraft
Aircraft type B-25 Mitchell
Aircraft nameOld John Feather Merchant
Operator United States Army Air Forces
Registration 41-30577
Flight origin Bedford Army Air Field
Bedford, Massachusetts
Destination Newark Metropolitan Airport
Occupants3 (flight crew members)
Fatalities3
Survivors0
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities11
Ground injuries24

On July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber of the United States Army Air Forces crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building in New York City while flying in thick fog. The crash killed fourteen people (three crewmen and eleven people in the building), and an estimated twenty-four others were injured. Damage caused by the crash was estimated at US$1 million (equivalent to about $16 million in 2022), although the building's structural integrity was not compromised. [1]

Contents

Incident

On Saturday, July 28, 1945, Lieutenant Colonel William Franklin Smith Jr., of Watertown, Massachusetts, [2] was piloting a B-25 Mitchell bomber on a routine personnel transport mission from Bedford Army Air Field in Massachusetts. Due to thick fog, the aircraft was unable to land at La Guardia Airport as scheduled. [3] The pilot requested to divert to Newark Metropolitan Airport in New Jersey. [3] [4] [5] [6] Smith asked for clearance to land, but he was advised of zero visibility. [7] Proceeding anyway, he became disoriented by the fog and turned right instead of left after flying dangerously close to the Chrysler Building on East 42nd Street. [3] [8]

The plane embedded in the side of the building Bomber Crashed into Empire State Building 1945.jpg
The plane embedded in the side of the building

At 9:40 a.m., the aircraft crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building, between the 78th and 80th floors, making an 18-by-20-foot (5.5 m × 6.1 m) hole in the building [9] into the offices of the War Relief Services and the National Catholic Welfare Council. One engine shot through the south side opposite the impact, flew as far as the next block, dropped 900 feet (270 m), landed on the roof of a nearby building and caused a fire that destroyed a penthouse art studio. The other engine and part of the landing gear fell down an elevator shaft. The resulting fire was extinguished in 40 minutes. The Empire State Building fire is the highest structural fire to be brought under control by firefighters. [9]

Between 50 and 60 sightseers were on the 86th floor observation deck when the crash happened. Fourteen people were killed: Colonel Smith, Staff Sergeant Christopher Domitrovich, and Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate Albert Perna, who was hitching a ride, and eleven civilians in the building. [1] Perna's body was not found until two days later, when search crews discovered that it had entered an elevator shaft and fallen to the bottom. The other two crewmen were burned beyond recognition. [10] Approximately twenty to twenty-four others were injured as a result of the crash. [11] [12] Elevator operator Betty Lou Oliver was thrown from her elevator car on the 80th floor and suffered severe burns. First aid workers placed her on another elevator car to transport her to the ground floor, but the cables supporting that elevator had been damaged in the incident, and it fell 75 stories, ending up in the basement. [13] Oliver survived the fall due to the softening cushion of air created by the falling elevator car within this elevator shaft; however, she had suffered a broken pelvis, back and neck when rescuers found her amongst the rubble. [14] This remains the world record for the longest survived elevator fall. [8]

Workmen clearing the wreckage Empire State Building plane crash wreckage 1945.jpg
Workmen clearing the wreckage

Aftermath

Despite the damage and deaths, the building was open for business on many floors on the next Monday morning, less than 48 hours later. After the debris had been cleared away, Armand Hammer purchased the damaged 78th floor, refurbished it, and made it the headquarters of his United Distillers of America. [15] [16]

The crash spurred the passage of the long-pending Federal Tort Claims Act, which was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in August 1946, initiating retroactive provisions into the law and allowing people to sue the government for the accident. [14]

On July 24, 1946, four days before the first anniversary of the crash, another aircraft narrowly missed striking the building. The unidentified twin-engine plane, described as bearing no military insignia, flew past the 68th floor, startling workers and tourists. [17]

The events of the crash were the subject of an episode of the 2001 History channel documentary Disasters of the Century , "It Came from the Sky".[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire State Building</span> Office skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the state of New York. The building has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m) and stands a total of 1,454 feet (443.2 m) tall, including its antenna. The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building until the first tower of the World Trade Center was topped out in 1970; following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was New York City's tallest building until it was surpassed in 2012 by One World Trade Center. As of 2022, the building is the seventh-tallest building in New York City, the ninth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States, and the 54th-tallest in the world.

USS <i>Franklin</i> (CV-13) Essex-class aircraft carrier of the US Navy

USS Franklin, nicknamed "Big Ben," was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy, and the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in January 1944, she served in several campaigns in the Pacific War, earning four battle stars. In March 1945, while launching strikes against the Japanese mainland, she was badly damaged when a single Japanese dive bomber struck her with two bombs. The attack resulted in the loss of almost 800 of her crew and Franklin became the most heavily-damaged United States aircraft carrier to survive the war. The complement of Franklin suffered 917 killed in action during the war, the worst for any surviving U.S. warship and second only to that of USS Arizona.

USS <i>Bismarck Sea</i> Casablanca-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) was the fortieth of fifty Casablanca-class escort carriers built to serve the United States Navy during World War II; she was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Completed in May 1944, she served in support of the Philippines campaign, and the landings on Iwo Jima. On 21 February 1945, she sank off of Iwo Jima due to two Japanese kamikaze attacks, killing 318 crewmen. Notably, she was the last aircraft carrier in U.S. service to sink due to enemy action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collapse of the World Trade Center</span> Outcome of September 11 attacks

The World Trade Center in New York City collapsed on September 11, 2001, as result of the al-Qaeda attacks. Two commercial airliners hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists were deliberately flown into the Twin Towers of the complex, resulting in a total progressive collapse that killed almost 3,000 people. It is the deadliest and most costly building collapse in history.

Taihō was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Possessing heavy belt armor and featuring an armored flight deck, she represented a major departure from prior Japanese aircraft carrier design and was expected to not only survive multiple bomb, torpedo, or shell hits, but also continue fighting effectively afterwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow Run Airport</span> Airport in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States

Willow Run Airport is an airport in Van Buren Charter Township and Ypsilanti Township, near Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States, that serves freight, corporate, and general aviation. Due to its very close proximity to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, no major airlines schedule passenger flights to or from Willow Run. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a national reliever airport facility.

Amagi (天城) was an Unryū-class aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Named after Mount Amagi, and completed late in the war, she never embarked her complement of aircraft and spent the war in Japanese waters. The ship capsized in July 1945 after being hit multiple times during airstrikes by American carrier aircraft while moored at Kure Naval Base. Amagi was refloated in 1946 and scrapped later that year.

Japanese aircraft carrier <i>Unryū</i> Imperial Japanese Navys Unryū-class aircraft carrier

The Japanese aircraft carrier Unryū was the lead ship of her class of fleet aircraft carriers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. She was commissioned in mid-1944, but fuel and aircrew shortages limited her use to Japanese waters. The impending American invasion of Luzon caused the IJN to order her to transport aircraft and supplies to the Philippines in December. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine USS Redfish in the East China Sea during the voyage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunken Airport</span> Airport

Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field is a public airport in Cincinnati, Ohio, three miles (5 km) east of Downtown Cincinnati. It is owned by the city of Cincinnati and serves private aircraft, including the fleets of local corporations. It serves a few commercial flights and is the second-largest airport serving Cincinnati after Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, which is the area’s primary airport. It is known as Lunken Airport or Lunken Field, after Eshelby Lunken. It is bounded by US Route 50 to the west, US Route 52 and the Ohio River to the south, the Little Miami River to the east, and Ohio Route 125 to the north. The airport is headquarters and hub for Cincinnati-based public charter airline Ultimate Air Shuttle, serving 5 destinations in the eastern United States with 16 peak daily flights. Lunken is also home to small charter airline Flamingo Air and its aviation school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Pirelli Tower airplane crash</span> Airplane crash in Milan, Italy

On 18 April 2002, at 17:48, a Rockwell Commander 112 crashed into the upper floors of the Pirelli Tower in Milan, Italy, for reasons still unclear. The crash killed the pilot and two others in the building. Sixty more people sustained injuries in the building and on the ground.

Japanese aircraft carrier <i>Katsuragi</i> Imperial Japanese Navys Unryū-class aircraft carrier

Katsuragi (葛城) was the third and final Unryū-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy built during World War II. Named after Mount Katsuragi, in Nara Prefecture, and completed late in the war; she never embarked her complement of aircraft and spent the war in Japanese waters. The ship was badly damaged in a July 1945 airstrike by American carrier aircraft on Kure Naval Base. Repaired after the end of the war, Katsuragi was then used as a repatriation transport for a number of months, bringing Japanese soldiers and civilians back to Japan from overseas locations. She was scrapped in Japan beginning in late 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald D. Pucket</span> United States Army Air Forces Medal of Honor recipient

Donald Dale Pucket was a United States Army Air Forces officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Tort Claims Act</span> United States law

The Federal Tort Claims Act ("FTCA") is a 1946 federal statute that permits private parties to sue the United States in a federal court for most torts committed by persons acting on behalf of the United States. Historically, citizens have not been able to sue the government — a doctrine referred to as sovereign immunity. The FTCA constitutes a limited waiver of sovereign immunity by the United States, permitting citizens to pursue some tort claims against the federal government. It was passed and enacted as a part of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">38th Bombardment Group</span> Military unit

The 38th Bombardment Group is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It was most recently assigned as the operational (flying) component of the 38th Bombardment Wing, stationed at Laon-Couvron Air Base, France, where it was inactivated on 8 December 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caspian Airlines Flight 7908</span> 2009 plane crash near Qazvin, Iran

Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 was a scheduled commercial flight from Tehran, Iran, to Yerevan, Armenia, that crashed near the village of Jannatabad, outside the city of Qazvin in north-western Iran, on 15 July 2009. All 153 passengers and 15 crew on board died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Portland A-26 Invader crash</span> Maine Plane crash

The South Portland A-26 Invader crash was the worst aviation accident in Maine history. It occurred in the historic Brick Hill neighborhood of South Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Houston MD-87 crash</span> Aircraft accident in 2021

On October 19, 2021, a corporate McDonnell Douglas MD-87, registered as N987AK, crashed and caught fire during take-off, 1,600 feet (500 m) from Houston Executive Airport. Those on board, 18 passengers and three crew members, were safely evacuated out of the aircraft. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and was subsequently written-off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Tom B-17 crash</span> 1946 plane crash in Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.

On July 9, 1946, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crashed into Mount Tom outside Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States. The crash and resulting explosion killed all 25 passengers and crew. It was the deadliest aviation accident in New England until the crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 in 1960.

References

  1. 1 2 "Empire State Building Withstood Airplane Impact". JOM (monthly publication of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society). 2001.
  2. "Empire Crash Due to 'Human Errors'". United Press . August 17, 1945. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Genzmer, Herbert; Kershner, Sybille; Schutz, Christian. Great Disasters . Queens Street house. p. 210. ISBN   9781445410968.
  4. Berman, John S. (2003). The Empire State Building: The Museum of the City of New York. Barnes, John & Noble Publishing. p. 85. ISBN   9780760738894.
  5. Barron, James (July 28, 1995). "Flaming Horror on the 79th Floor; 50 Years Ago Today, in the Fog, a Plane Hit the World's Tallest Building". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  6. Byers, Roland O. (1985). Flak dodger: a story of the 457th Bombardment Group, 1943–1945, 8th AAF. Pawpaw Press.
  7. Richman, Joe (July 28, 2008). "The Day A Bomber Hit The Empire State Building". NPR.
  8. 1 2 "Longest Fall Survived In An Elevator". GuinnessWorldRecords.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2006.
  9. 1 2 Molnar, Matt. "On This Day in Aviation History: July 28th". NYCAviation. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
  10. "B-25 Empire State Building Collision". Aerospaceweb.org. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
  11. "Two Probes Underway; 24 Injured". Sunday News. July 29, 1945. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  12. "Crash Kills At Least 13". Associated Press. July 29, 1945. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  13. Lynch, Patrick (11 October 2017). "This Woman Cheated Death Twice on the Same Day After a 1945 Disaster". HistoryCollection.co. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  14. 1 2 Joe Richman (July 28, 2008). "The Day A Bomber Hit The Empire State Building". NPR. Retrieved July 28, 2008. Eight months after the crash, the U.S. government offered money to families of the victims. Some accepted, but others initiated a lawsuit that resulted in landmark legislation. The Federal Tort Claims Act of 1946, for the first time, gave American citizens the right to sue the federal government.
  15. Fenton, James (2008-03-15). "Restoration and removal". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  16. "Comment". The New Yorker. 1946-06-22. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  17. "Plane Barely Misses Hitting Empire State". The Spokesman-Review (credited to Chicago Tribune Service). Spokane, Washington. July 25, 1946. Retrieved March 3, 2023 via Newspapers.com.