Plane Slams Into Milan Skyscraper
April 18 -- A small plane crashed into the 25th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Milan today, killing at least three people.
It was the second time since the Sept. 11 terror attacks that a plane has struck a high-rise building, and the crash raised fears of another terrorist attack. But local officials now say it was probably an accident.
The plane carried only a pilot, who was killed. Dozens of people in the Pirelli building were injured after several floors of the 30-story building caught fire. At least 15 were taken to the hospital, and gaping holes could be seen on both sides of the slim structure.
The crash happened during the evening rush hour, as office workers were ending their day. At the time of the impact, 300 of the 1,300 people that normally work there were still in the building, Italy's ANSA wire service said.
The building was cleared, and the fire brought under control. A local reporter said the crash damaged the 23rd through the 29th floors, which were being restored and weren't occupied at the time.
A man who was on the 21st floor at the time the plane hit said the building was evacuated in an orderly fashion.
Italian firefighters said they doubted the tower was structurally affected, because it is held up by two large cement pylons at opposite ends of the building, and the plane crashed into the center.
The Pirelli building houses the administrative offices of the local Lombardy region and sits next to the city's central train station.
Allayed Fears
The National Agency for Flight Security in Italy said they can exclude the hypothesis of terrorism. The plane stuck to its flight plan from Locarno, Switzerland to Milan's Linate airport, it said.
A transport official told Reuters the plane had reported problems with its undercarriage and was circling the city ahead of trying to land.
Police officer Celerissimo De Simone told The Associate Press the pilot of the aircraft sent out a distress call at 5:54 p.m. just before crashing.
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