I hope everyone is ok..

71st & York

It is actually a helicopter that crashed into an apartment building at 71st and York. 10 blocks from my apartment. Haven't heard any further details.

OK , 20th floor, apt bldg on York & E 72nd..

either a small airplane or a helicopter hit.

NYC Fire Dept says that people are trapped in the building, but they seem to be getting the fire put out, they are saying it is in No Way terrorism related.

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524 E. 72nd.

The FAA is saying it was a Fixed Wing 4 passenger plane.

It was an aircraft "in distress" - no details - that hit the 39th floor of this luxury condo building.

Fire department has debris fire on the ground under control and is working on the couple of apartments which are on fire (39/40th floors).

No further info on the type or problem with aircraft.

But the fire doesn;t seem to be large enough to affect the stability of the building - which would be a major problem - since t is across the street from the New York Hospital/Cornell/ Special Surgery/Sloan Kettering Hospital complex.

I'm on 50th and I can hear the fire engines! Was scary when we all saw that "Breaking News" email alert from WNBC and CNN!!

A few blocks away, lots of sirens continue by, hard to tell if smoke present due to overcast conditions

Just walked in the door from the West side of 72nd street. Heard talk on the train about a plane crash. Just an awful feeling.

Thoughts and prayers to those affected.

Cirrus 20 airplane out of Teterboro ... at least 4 people dead ... I heard the explosion ... NOT terrorism ... the Belleaire is a nice, family, residential high-rise in a very residential area of the UES ... tragic accident ...

This is the building that contains the Belaire Guest Suites that is connected to the Hospital for Special Surgery and NY Presbyterian Hospital.

I stayed in this building during my visit to NYC back in late July during my nephew's surgery.

My brother, sister-in-law and nephew were there last week for my nephew's first check-up after the surgery. The surgeons office is on E. 72nd Street. All that debris probably fell onto the street right in front of his office. There is a little park there with a dozen trees that is probably a war zone right now.

Keith

The plane was being flown by NY Yankees pitcher Corey Lidle. Reports are that there was an emergency call before the crash that it was low on fuel. Lidle has been confirmed dead in the crash.

Hoping damage and injuries are minimal.

Apparently (per one of the local news anchors who is a long-experiencd pilot) he was a fairly novice pilot and the plane - while very safe - was also very fast and not the easiest plane to fly. He intimated it was not a plane he would recommend for a novice pilot - sort of like giving a 16 year old a Porsche.

One eyewitness says the plane was "coughing" and seemed out of control - which could have indicated lack of fuel - or be the result of stalling out as the result of making a 180 turn too quickly.

A representative of the hospital said they have no problems.

And it appears that the number of dead is now listed as only 2 - including the pilot. But - obviously this is still unknown.

So sad for the pilot and the other victim. But so lucky that it happened when the building was not full - and that block is very quiet in terms of stret traffic - since it only goes down to the FDR.

There were sirens from all the way in downtown Battery Park, where my office is. Just hearing it made all of us freeze. Glad it wasn't terrorist related.

But so sad to hear another tragedy, this time a real & tragic one, befall the Yankees.

Front page of AOL is saying at least 4 have been confirmed killed including two on the ground.