Ever heard of a plane crashing into one of the world’s most iconic skyscrapers, only for the building to shrug it off and for life to largely go on? Sounds like something out of a disaster movie, right? Well, buckle up, because that’s exactly what happened to the Empire State Building in 1945, and it’s one of those incredible historical tidbits you probably never learned in school.
Fog, Fate, and the Empire State Building Crash of 1945
Picture this: It’s July 28, 1945. World War II is finally winding down, and New York City is buzzing, albeit under a thick blanket of fog. Visibility was so bad that morning, you could barely see your hand in front of your face. Meanwhile, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 Mitchell bomber, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel William F. Smith, was on a routine personnel transport mission from Massachusetts to Newark Airport.
Smith, disoriented by the pea-soup fog, requested permission to land. Air traffic control at LaGuardia (then New York Municipal Airport) advised him not to land in Newark due to the zero visibility. Instead, they told him to proceed to LaGuardia. But somewhere in that dense, soupy air, fate took a sharp turn.
Instead of turning east towards LaGuardia, the B-25 veered west, straight into Manhattan’s towering skyline. Suddenly, out of the mist, the colossal Empire State Building loomed. At 9:40 AM, the bomber, traveling at about 200 miles per hour, slammed into the north side of the building, between the 79th and 80th floors.
The Impact, The Inferno, and an Unbelievable Survival Story
The impact was catastrophic. One engine ripped through the building, flying clear across the 79th floor, out the other side, and landing on a penthouse apartment a block away, causing a fire. The other engine and part of the landing gear plummeted down an elevator shaft. Jet fuel ignited, turning the 79th floor into an inferno.
Tragically, 14 people lost their lives: Lieutenant Colonel Smith, two crew members, and 11 civilians working in the building. However, what happened next is truly the stuff of legends. Betty Lou Oliver, an elevator operator, was on the 80th floor when the plane hit. The impact severed the elevator cables, sending her car plummeting 75 stories to the basement.
Now, if you thought your Monday morning was rough, imagine falling 75 stories and surviving! Firefighters found her alive, albeit severely injured. Turns out, the massive amount of severed cable that piled up at the bottom of the shaft created a sort of cushion, saving her life. Talk about a lucky (and terrifying) break!
The Building Stood, and Lessons Were Learned
Despite the massive hole in its side and the raging fires, the Empire State Building, a marvel of engineering, remained structurally sound. Its robust steel frame, designed to withstand high winds and various stresses, proved its mettle. Firefighters tackled the blaze, and within minutes, the building was being assessed for repairs.
Incredibly, the building was open for business on most floors just two days later! New York, being New York, simply dusted itself off and kept going. This bizarre accident led to significant improvements in aviation safety, particularly in air traffic control procedures and regulations for flying over urban areas in adverse weather.
So, the next time you look up at the majestic Empire State Building, remember this incredible tale. It’s a testament not just to the resilience of a city and its people, but also to the foresight of engineers who built a skyscraper tough enough to take a hit from a bomber and live to tell the tale. And maybe, just maybe, it makes your own commute seem a little less dramatic.