Plane Crashes Into Italian Skyscraper

chernobyl

MILAN, Italy — A small plane crashed into the tallest building in downtown Milan Thursday evening, causing smoke to pour out of the top floors of the skyscraper.


Officials said the crash appeared to have been an accident and that only the pilot was aboard.

There were reports that one person had died. Rescue workers said about 20 people had been taken to a nearby hospital.

Smoke poured out of the 30-story Pirelli building, which houses the regional government offices. The weather was clear at the time of the crash.

Police officer Celerissimo De Simone said the pilot of the Piper aircraft had sent out a distress call at 5:50 p.m. just before the crash near Milan's main train station. RAI state TV reported that the pilot said the SOS was because of engine trouble.

Police cordoned off the area as people gawked at the skyscraper. At least one ambulance was dispatched.

Earlier, in Rome, the senate's president, Marcello Pera, said it "very probably" appeared to be a terrorist attack.

The crash put a hole in the 25th floor of the Pirelli building, and smoke was seen pouring from the opening. Police and ambulances rushed to the building.

At 30 stories high, the Pirelli skyscraper, located near the central train station, is one of the world's tallest concrete buildings. It was built in 1958 and designed by architects Gio Ponti and Pier Luigi Nervi. The building is one of the main symbols of Milan, along with the city's cathedral.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer opened his lunchtime press briefing Thursday with this statement:

"The president just moments ago was informed about the incident in Milan. I have no additional information at all for you at this time. This is a breaking story and we don't have anything else beyond that -- the president has been informed."

It was the second time since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington that a plane has struck a high-rise building. On Jan. 5, a 15-year-old boy crashed a stolen plane into a building in Tampa, Fla. He was the only casualty.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

FOX News say it was a small plane, i say take a look at the gaping hole in that building, this was surely a sizeable commercial plane.

More Terrorism?

roar_ie

hopefully it was only an accident......we don't need another terrorist incident like Sep 11th

Giblet

The damage isn't that extensive, but four floors are on fire. I'd say it was an accident, because apparently the pilot reported some trouble with the plane. But remember they thought that kid who crashed the plane was an accident.

Kali

obviously its not a cessna or something.. more than likely a 8 or 12 seater or small postal plane.

something similar happened about a month after sep 11th in america didnt it? that was just a cessna tho..

the answer? no more skyscrapers

chernobyl

Yeah, some teenager decided to commit suicide but the hole in the building is across the width of the building, 8-10 or more.

It does not appear to be terrorism but too early to conclude anything.

byte

I don't think it was a terrorist attack. The pilot was a 75-year-old and apparently a member of the local flying club and SOSed about problems with the plane's undercarriage.

chernobyl

Regardless the piolt is an idiot, Milan is not a huge city and planes dont fly over that section of the city, he should have dumped the plane.

Its certainly not Terrorism, i mean it took place @ 6pm CET.