Yanks pitcher dies as his plane crashes into building

[SteppingRazor]

Confirmed -- Lidle was onboard the plane that crashed

http://www.newsday.com/am-plane1012,0,225622.story?coll=ny-arts-headlines&track=mostemailedlink


Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle reportedly was one of at least two people killed when a plane he was piloting slammed into a high-rise residential building on the Upper East Side shortly before 3 p.m., officials said.

The police department confirmed that two people were killed, and there were no immediate reports of injuries when the four-seater plane crashed into the 50-story luxury apartment building.

There is no evidence that terrorism is invovled, but officials "have been sent to the scene as a routine," said Christine Monaco, a New York spokeswoman for FBI. FAA spokesman Jim Peters said all three New York City-area airports were operating normally, but LaGuardia is reporting 30-40 minute delays.

"The initial indication is that there is a terrible accident," said Department of Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke.

[louis-t]

1. How sad.

[Drum]

2. ...

[deadparrot]

3. Oh my god.

How sad. :cry:

[aquart]

4. Someone being interviewed says FAA should have known

who was flying and where.

I completely agree.

It took hours to find out who was flying. Hours.

[puffthemagicdragon]

7. I agree, why are they allowed to fly like this?

very sad but...I heard that as well, that private planes like that are not required to communicate with air traffic control. Seems to be the elite with small planes are exempt. I am sure the people that died while sitting in their house would have wished they were communicating with FAA. sorry if this sounds insensitive

[maseman]

13. This is very common

When you fly what is called VFR (visual flight rules) many pilots file what is called a flight plan. It gives a central location a bunch of info about the pilot, aircraft, flying time, route, etc. But they are not mandatory to file.

I fly often without a flight plan mainly because I don't go very far from the airport. But they are very helpful when a plane goes down. All the flight center needs to know is the plane's tail number and they can see all the info on the flight plan including name, passengers names, etc.

Very sad indeed. Wonder if he had much experience? Those NYC airways are VERY congested. I would probably never fly through there if I didn't have to.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

17. I believe that he had his license for only 7 months.

or at least, that what was reported on the Big Eddie show!

[BrightKnight]

54. My car weighs more that his tiny 200 horse power airplane.

This is not much different from someone driving into a 7/11.



This was a tragic accident but it was not a threat to the free world. The sky is not falling.

[northzax]

75. seriously, why shouldn't they?

or should our restrictions just keep tightening, over and over again?

[Bushfire]

32. The route he was flying didn't need a flight plan filed with FAA

per ESPN. They also said NORAD scrambled planes immediately above NYC, and other major cities...hmmm.

[xultar]

50. I'm sure they try to notify family BEFORE relasing names to the media.

[Renew Deal]

65. I don't understand how that's possible.

You're assuming that they could identify the plane right away. Also, some of the delay was probably due to notification of family.

[AllegroRondo]

5. WTF?

Losing to Detroit isnt THAT bad.

[SteppingRazor]

9. Says the Brewers fan

:eyes:

[northzax]

11. the best part?

I say two hours before someone blames this on A-Rod too.

[vssmith]

61. Or Clinton

[northzax]

74. well obviously Clinton

see, if he hadn't led such a period of peace and prosperity, New York would never have had the 90's rennaisance, and therefore the Yankees wouldn't have even been in the playoffs.

[herbbrown]

30. Maybe it is

He relieved Jared Wright on Sat. pitched 1.1 innings, gave up 4 hits, and 3 runs, and generally put the game out of reach for the Yankees, but I'm sure it was an accident.

[aggiesal]

6. MLB Stats

<http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=117756>

[Mr_Spock]

39. I think they will be changing his "Current Status" shortly

:(

[musette_sf]

8. shades of Thurman Munson

one would think that Steinbrenner had hammered down that "no flying private planes" part of the contracts, by now.

i hate to hear of this kind of thing happening again to the Yanks.

[northzax]

14. off season. the contract regs are much looser

and most MLB contracts terminate at death, so the Yankees aren't on the hook for the remainder.

[AnneD]

21. You forgot to mention...

the great Roberto Clemente.

[hootinholler]

24. He was my HERO growing up. n/t

[demdiva]

10. so sad!!!!!!!

Condolences to his family, friends and teammates.

[Fenris]

12. Such a tragedy.

It really is a shame. My prayers go out to his friends, family, and fans.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Squatch]

16. Damn...he was a starting pitcher. Why couldn't God have taken

one of the relief pitchers?

[brentspeak]

34. Not funny

[northzax]

41. yeah, actually, it kinda is

sorry. but it is. I'm sure it's not, at this time, to his family and friends, but that doesn't mean it can't be. really, stop scolding, you'll feel a lot better about life.

[Squatch]

49. What's even funnier is that I'm a Mariners fan.

And I ain't joshing.

[Counciltucky]

57. Eh...

It'd been funnier if you'd have waited a couple days.

[superconnected]

18. okay, but the passport found in street does sound like

a homeland security job.

I mean, most likely they didn't. But it does sound like they showed up and threw that in for humor...

[muryan]

72. I guess the bodies found in the street were too

I mean, seeing charred corpses always gives me a good laugh...

:sarcasm:

[superconnected]

78. gee, when I wrote that I didn't know about the bodies.

What really gives me a laugh is people such as yourself.

[rep the dems]

19. Rest in peace, Cory.

You were a great Phillie.

[geomon666]

20. Passport found in the street.

Hmmm. Does anyone think the Tinfoil Clan will stop using that when spinning their crap about 9/11? I didn't think so either.

[RamboLiberal]

22. While reading NY Daily News Report-that plane has an airframe parachute

I've read of the theory of having that - didn't realize there was an actual plane with one.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/460724p-387626c.html

<snip>

On Sunday, the day after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs, Lidle cleaned out his locker at Yankee Stadium and talked about his interest in flying.

He explained to reporters the process of getting a pilot's license, and said he intended to fly back to California in several days and planned to make a few stops. Lidle disccused the plane crash of John F. Kennedy Jr. and how he had read the accident report on the National Transportation Safety Board Web site.

Lidle, acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies on July 30, told The New York Times last month that his four-seat Cirrus SR20 plane was safe.

"The whole plane has a parachute on it," Lidle said. "Ninety-nine percent of pilots that go up never have engine failure, and the 1 percent that do usually land it. But if you're up in the air and something goes wrong, you pull that parachute, and the whole plane goes down slowly."

http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/cirrus-sr20

Cirrus's SR20 is a low-wing four-seat composite airplane best known for its incorporation of an airframe parachute, which, in the event of a midair collision or other disaster, can float the plane and its passengers down for a 1,500 fpm landing on the ground. The plane was introduced in 1999, and within a few years Cirrus Design was selling more four-seat piston-powered airplanes than anyone but Cessna. The Cirrus is remarkable for its cruise speed of 150-155 knots on 11 gallons per hour of fuel through its six-cylinder 200hp fuel-injected Continental engine. The SR20 sells for about $280,000 nicely equipped (Avidyne glass cockpit, dual Garmins, autopilot with flight director, satellite weather, EMax engine monitor; no terrain warning, no traffic warning, no Stormscope, no CMax).

The things that distinguish the Cirrus from its competitors such as the Diamond Star DA40 and the Cessna 172/182 are the following:

better visibility toward the front than the Cessnas due to a lower panel
higher airspeeds
side yoke instead of a center stick (Diamond) or center yoke (Cessna)
the parachute
surprisingly large and comfortable cabin

[Counciltucky]

59. Parachute...

Problem with that is, in Manhattan, where is the plane supposed to land after the parachute is deployed? It's almost impossible.

[AngryAmish]

23. Didn't Bush used to own a baseball team?

[RamboLiberal]

26. Yes - Texas Rangers

And what does that have to do with this?

[geniph]

25. I shall refrain from the obligatory tasteless "Yankees as terrorists" joke

*zipping lip*

(but, as a Seattle Mariners fan for many years, and NOT a Yankees fan, I believe I am showing great restraint)

[LordLovesAWorkingMan]

27. Well, let's give you a cookie, then. nt

[rinsd]

28. Don't pat yourself on the back too hard for NOT being a douche.

:eyes:

[NYYFan]

29. Gee, you're all heart

:eyes:

This is no time for sports and fan issues- so put away the HATERADE.

Rest in peace, Corey and the other victims of this accident. O8)

[herbbrown]

31. Yankees pitchers couldn't

hit a target if there life depended on it. Seriously, though I think this kind of flying is highly irresposible.

[RamboLiberal]

35. What's irresponsible - there are tons of General Aviation pilots

And most are safe. The roadways are more dangerous. Just read a story today that the couple who founded Ticket website Fandango died in a horrible car crash and their 10-month old infant was seriously injured.

Bet in proportion there are fewer General Aviation accidents than car crashes. It's just that when a well known person dies it looks dangerous.

See if this pans out but CNN does report there was a mayday sent.

There was a mayday, FAA reports, from the pilot involving a problem with fuel before the aircraft crashed into the 50-story high-rise on Manhattan's East Side.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/11/plane.crash/index.html

[Mr_Spock]

44. lol

leave the dead pitcher alone. :)

[mcscajun]

45. Tacky.

:eyes:

[BeyondGeography]

51. Classy in victory

Someone should confiscate your Tiger Nation membership card.

[Renew Deal]

66. So are these kinds of posts.

Jeez. The guy had a flight instructor on the plane with him. All the reports so far are from people saying that the plane appeared to be in distress. BTW, the Tigers suck, and are nothing compared to the Yankees, even this year. 26 championships. Best team in any sport anywhere.

[BeyondGeography]

48. Good luck with your ongoing maturity process

seeing that you still have a long way to go.

[0rganism]

52. Al Qaeda's influence in the major leagues is greatly overstated

:spank:

[0007]

33. RIP

[KitSileya]

36. I haven't had a chance to check up on this story today.

My condolences to his family, and the family of the other person.

Did anyone die in the apartments that were hit?

[mcscajun]

42. Aside from Lidle, one other person died. No information yet

as to whether it was another person on the plane, or someone in the building.

[jljamison]

62. Lidle was with a CFI, per Mayor Bloomberg

Cory was flying around manhattan with a Flight Instructor. The CFI is the other body. This is per Mayor Bloomberg's press conference. Mayor Bloomberg is himself a instrument rated, single and multiengine airplane, and helicopter pilot. He also owns a Mooney Bravo, a turbocharged single engine aircraft.

People please recognize that much of the reporting on aircraft accidents is just flat out wrong

I have read reports today that
"VFR means navigation by visual landmarks". Not necessarily true, one can fly VFR using a GPS or other navigation aid/instrument.
"VFR means not talking to a tower" - not necessarily true but in this case probably true. Does not mean he wasn't
talking with air traffic control, however, though again not required by FAA regulations.
"Lidle was flying a twin engine aircraft" - this happens alot. he was flying a Cirrus SR20, a perfectly good
single engine airplane. Yes it has a parachute, but as another post noted you can't just pull the chute over
a congested area.
"Wasn't flying on an authorized flight plan" a flight plan is not required, nor are VFR flight plans "authorized"

There is nothing illegal or irresponsible or inherently dangerous about the flight that Cory Lidle took today, other than flying low over a city (although by some accounts he mostly flew over the hudson and east rivers).

The cause of the accident is not known. If he had engine trouble then it is a combination of horrid luck and bad circumstances. Engine trouble is not necessarily fatal at all. But when you are flying low over a city, you don't have many options. If he was flying at 1000 feet, he had 2-3 minutes of glide time if then engine had stopped producing power, and assuming he could glide away from obstructions. Most general aviation airplanes have a glide ratio of 10:1, so that means he should have been able to glide 10,000 feet or almost 2 miles.

The FAA is not required to know who is flying what airplane with what passengers at any given time of the day. That is not the system we have. If you are a duly licensed and current pilot and fly an airworthy aircraft, you can take off at most airports in this country without any specific flight plan or authorization (for that flight) and in most cases will never talk to air traffic control or a tower controller. If you crash, they will have to identify you just as if you had crashed your car - by identification in your wallet, medical records, identification by relative or acquaintance, etc. Obviously the owner of the aircraft is not necessarily the pilot or even a passenger, just like with auto accidents.

Now flying in and around the congested airspace of manhattan (Lidle took off from Teterboro, which is a Class D towered airport), Lidle would have had to get a clearance for takeoff, but once a few miles from the Teterboro airport would be given a Frequency Change from the tower or departure controller, permitting him to switch either to air traffic control for advisories, or basically not talk or listen on the radio unless passing through another airport airspace segment.

Many pilots in this situation would monitor ATC, meaning listen in on the frequency of the ATC sector they pass through, but not necessarily be "registered" with the controller. At some point a mayday was issued - the FAA preliminary report will list what frequency it was issued on, the reports don't yet say.

[951-Riverside]

37. *whew* Well thank goodness he wasn't a-rab

I would have been terrified. :eyes: :sarcasm:

[951-Riverside]

38. SINCE HES A WHITE GUY THERE IS NO WAY HE DID IT ON PURPOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:sarcasm: :eyes:

[davepc]

53. He didn't pitch *that* poorly in the series

[muryan]

73. well when you have any logical reason to believe this wasnt an accident

you can make statements like that.

[ailsagirl]

40. Very sad for everyone involved...

Is this highly unusual or does this kind of thing happen now
and again in NY? (Or wherever there are skyscrapers...)

I just don't recall hearing anything about this kind of thing
before 9/11

[mcscajun]

43. Highly unusual, but not unknown in NYC; a B25 bomber once

crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building. Fourteen people died and $1 million damage was done to the building. This was in July of 1945.

When the old Pan Am building (now MetLife) had a helipad on the roof, there were some notable helicopter crashes as well.

I seem to recall another account of a small plane crash in NYC involving a building, but the details escape me at the moment.

[951-Riverside]

46. In 1994 Frank Eugene Corder smashed a plane into the white house

and get this he this he stole the plane on September 11th and crashed it September 12th

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Eugene_Corder

[Tesha]

47. It happens. See article describing the 1945 crash into the Empire State.

http://www.evesmag.com/empirestatecrash.htm

[SunDrop23]

55. Not sure why I feel this way, but...

my first response (after learning it was not terrorism) was "Big deal. I am more concerned about the report that says we will be in Iraq until 2010. Would this be such a big deal if I was on that plane, just a plain old everyday guy from North Carolina?"

I realize that my response is probably very out of line, but I felt comfortable letting off steam at DU.

[Counciltucky]

60. A rational response.

I'm a diehard baseball fanatic and a Yankee fan and quite familiar with Cory Lidle, and even then, your response is completely rational. The Lidle thing is a freak thing, whereas Iraq is deliberate.

[bigwillq]

56. Rest in peace, Cory.

:cry: :(

[NJ Democrats]

58. RIP Corey Lidle

Thank you for all you did this 2nd half and I still think you should have started Game 4.

[951-Riverside]

63. New York Mets coach Manny Acta lived in that building he crashed into.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=nym&coachorstaffid=427000

[Penndems]

64. Deepest condolences to the family and friends of Cory Lidle

He wasn't a Bronx Bomber for very long, but he sure looked and pitched great wearing Yankee pinstripes.

RIP, Cory. You will be deeply missed by those of us who enjoy baseball watched your talent when you stood on the mound. :cry:

[rocktivity]

67. Isn't it odd that the other passenger hasn't been identifed?

If it was his flight instructor, wouldn't he be on record as having been in the plane? Why would it take this long to notify the next of kin?

:shrug:
rocknation

[aaronbees]

68. I was just thinking that as well...

Haven't heard the name or affiliation of the instructor (if that was the other passenger) yet and also found it odd.

[Dulcinea]

70. The next of kin probably hasn't been notified yet.

The authorities won't release his/her name to the media until that happens.

[rocktivity]

76. I'm supposed to believe that a FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR

wouldn't have it on file whom to contact in case of an emergency??? Don't they keep records of who gets on even private planes? It just doesn't make sense!

:scared:
rocknation

[Binka]

71. IMO It Was Not A Flight Instructor With Corey

I understand Corey's father heard about the crash on TV and he was not concerned that it was Corey's plane because Corey was to have left NJ much earlier. Why was Corey flying later than he told his family? Corey's wife and son were already in flight to CA on a commercial plane when the accident occurred.

Why did Corey fly around the statue of liberty? This sounds like he was on a sight seeing trip possibly going to fly over Yankee stadium. Hmmm. Who was with Corey? Not one media outlet has released a name. The airport Corey flew out of is quite small somebody must have seen Corey and the passenger. Why the secrecy?

This is a very tragic situation but I think this could get a bit uglier if the passenger turns out to be more than a flight instructor.

[rocktivity]

77. DING DING DING! Binka, you're our grand prize winner!

Why was Corey flying later than he told his family?...Corey's wife and son were already in flight to CA on a commercial plane...Why did Corey fly around the statue of liberty?...Who was with Corey?...The airport Corey flew out of is quite small--somebody must have seen Corey and the passenger. Why the secrecy?

I really wish we had the answers because I would like very much to get this horrible thought out of my head that maybe it was suicide--sure, the Yankees missed the playoffs, but REALLY! Even with his limited flight experience, Corey MUST have known he was flying where he shouldn't have been. And he puts his family on a commercial flight and gives his father a possibly phony itinterary? Those are just the kind of "preparations" that suicidal people make!

:tinfoilhat:
rocknation

[OneBlueSky]

69. this is so sad . . . after the Yanks lost the ALDS to Detroit . . .

Lidle was interviewed and made some unfortunate comments about Detroit being a little better prepared than the Yankees . . . this was taken by many as a slam at manager Joe Torre, which was not what Lidle had intended . . .

the next day he called in to the "Mike and the Mad Dog" sports talk show on WFAN to defend himself and was thoroughly roasted by the two hosts (neither of whom knows squat about baseball or anything else, imo) . . . then two days later he does a swing around Manhattan before flying home and this happens . . .

Lidle came to the Yankee with Bobby Abreau in a trade with Philly . . . he was close friends with Jason Giambi, who he went to high school with and played with in Oakland . . . Sal Fasano, also formerly of the Phillies, was also a good friend . . .

so very, very sad, particularly for his wife and child . . . RIP, Cory . . .