An American airlines flight just crashed into the densely populated Queens neighborhood of Rockaway (well, Belle Harbor more technically) around 129th street & Newport avenue. It was an Airbus plane that had just taken off from nearby JFK airport. It's unclear what happened.
There's at least one fighter circling pretty low over the city. Not sure if that is helping people's nerves or not. The news keeps repeating that NYC is in a "lockdown." I don't like that word. All bridges and tunnels closed, although nobody has mentioned the subways, so I'm not sure if they are running or not.
This is strange, and may be coincidental. The flight had just taken off, so it probably wasn't high enough to trigger an altitude sensing bomb. There was no mayday call (that we know of yet) as well as no emergency cell phone calls (again, that we know of - the plane was probably low enough for people's phones to work) so probably there wasn't a struggle inside the cabin.
Eyewitness reports seem to indicate an engine came off while the plane was still airborn. That doesn't mean it wasn't a bomb, I guess, but also there is precedent for engines falling off planes and causing crashes.
If it wasn't for 9/11 I wouldn't be thinking this was a terrorist act. But given the recent circumstances, it's hard not to wonder...
The plane was fairly full, but the damage on the ground seems, thankfully, very limited. Possibly amazingly limited.
Looks like the damage is on Newport Ave between 129 and 130. That block looks pretty bad.
in a side note, who is in charge of rudys wardrobe? he always has the right look for the occassion. i think he has a whole wardrobe truck that follows him around. also, in a side side note, i think bloomberg will be a better mayor than he was a candidate. hes far more comfortable dealing with power players than constituencies. hell do better at the technocratic responsibilies of the office than the cheerleader/confessor role that rudy revels in.
i saw him yesterday on meet the press. i thought this exchange was interesting. it begins with a clip from the liberal republican nyc mayor from 1969. heres the entire transcript. (scroll down)
(Videotape, June 22, 1969):
MAYOR JOHN LINDSAY, (R-New York City): But I do think that despite of the fact that I believe in the two-party system on a national basis, that it’s really time to forget about it in a big city like New York. And that’s why that I look forward to groups coming forward themselves forming the kind of coalition that can help our city and can help this campaign, which is a fusion campaign; it’s a coalition campaign. And I just think that it’s time to have non-partisan elections in a great city like New York.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Interesting view. Have the national political system—Republicans, Democrats—but in New York, make the elections non-partisan.
MAYOR-ELECT BLOOMBERG: I’ve advocated that for a long time. Chicago, a bastion of democratic support, has already done that. There have been a number of other cities that have gone to non-partisan elections. I think it does two things. One, it stops having a small group of people pick who the general public has a choice from. And, two, I think it levels the playing field in terms of you can come from different backgrounds and have an equal chance to present yourself to the voters. And both things are good for democracy.
Still too early, but this looks mechanical. The pilot in the plane directly behind the flight on the runway at JFK apparently reported smoke coming from one of the engines on take off. Sure sounds mechanical. Of course a mechanical problem could still be terrorism, but that sounds like a stretch. These things do happen.
Thanks for the report. I agree about the "lockdown." I'm not sure how much more local businesses can take of our leaders' after-the-fact measures. Especially small businesses.
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- jim 11-12-2001 3:03 pm
There's at least one fighter circling pretty low over the city. Not sure if that is helping people's nerves or not. The news keeps repeating that NYC is in a "lockdown." I don't like that word. All bridges and tunnels closed, although nobody has mentioned the subways, so I'm not sure if they are running or not.
This is strange, and may be coincidental. The flight had just taken off, so it probably wasn't high enough to trigger an altitude sensing bomb. There was no mayday call (that we know of yet) as well as no emergency cell phone calls (again, that we know of - the plane was probably low enough for people's phones to work) so probably there wasn't a struggle inside the cabin.
Eyewitness reports seem to indicate an engine came off while the plane was still airborn. That doesn't mean it wasn't a bomb, I guess, but also there is precedent for engines falling off planes and causing crashes.
If it wasn't for 9/11 I wouldn't be thinking this was a terrorist act. But given the recent circumstances, it's hard not to wonder...
- jim 11-12-2001 3:29 pm
The plane was fairly full, but the damage on the ground seems, thankfully, very limited. Possibly amazingly limited.
- jim 11-12-2001 3:43 pm
Looks like the damage is on Newport Ave between 129 and 130. That block looks pretty bad.
- jim 11-12-2001 4:03 pm
in a side note, who is in charge of rudys wardrobe? he always has the right look for the occassion. i think he has a whole wardrobe truck that follows him around. also, in a side side note, i think bloomberg will be a better mayor than he was a candidate. hes far more comfortable dealing with power players than constituencies. hell do better at the technocratic responsibilies of the office than the cheerleader/confessor role that rudy revels in.
i saw him yesterday on meet the press. i thought this exchange was interesting. it begins with a clip from the liberal republican nyc mayor from 1969. heres the entire transcript. (scroll down)
(Videotape, June 22, 1969):
MAYOR JOHN LINDSAY, (R-New York City): But I do think that despite of the fact that I believe in the two-party system on a national basis, that it’s really time to forget about it in a big city like New York. And that’s why that I look forward to groups coming forward themselves forming the kind of coalition that can help our city and can help this campaign, which is a fusion campaign; it’s a coalition campaign. And I just think that it’s time to have non-partisan elections in a great city like New York.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Interesting view. Have the national political system—Republicans, Democrats—but in New York, make the elections non-partisan.
MAYOR-ELECT BLOOMBERG: I’ve advocated that for a long time. Chicago, a bastion of democratic support, has already done that. There have been a number of other cities that have gone to non-partisan elections. I think it does two things. One, it stops having a small group of people pick who the general public has a choice from. And, two, I think it levels the playing field in terms of you can come from different backgrounds and have an equal chance to present yourself to the voters. And both things are good for democracy.
- dave 11-12-2001 4:35 pm
Still too early, but this looks mechanical. The pilot in the plane directly behind the flight on the runway at JFK apparently reported smoke coming from one of the engines on take off. Sure sounds mechanical. Of course a mechanical problem could still be terrorism, but that sounds like a stretch. These things do happen.
- jim 11-12-2001 5:47 pm
Thanks for the report. I agree about the "lockdown." I'm not sure how much more local businesses can take of our leaders' after-the-fact measures. Especially small businesses.
- tom moody 11-12-2001 8:26 pm