On July 28, a B-25 bomber crashed into the Empire State Building. The aircraft hit the north side between the 78th and 80th floors. Fourteen people died as a result of the crash.
The bomber was unable to land at LaGuardia Airport due to thick fog. The pilot requested to divert to Newark but became disoriented. He turned the aircraft toward the Empire State Building instead of left toward the airport.
The impact resulted in an 18-by-20-foot hole in the building. One engine shot through the south side, landing on a nearby roof, causing a fire. The other engine fell down an elevator shaft and severed cables.
Approximately 50 to 60 people were on the observation deck when the crash occurred. Three crew members aboard the bomber died, along with eleven civilians in the building. One crew member's body was discovered two days later in the elevator shaft.
Betty Lou Oliver was an elevator operator who survived the incident. After the crash, she was thrown from her elevator car, which fell 75 stories. She survived, but sustained severe injuries.
The damage caused by the crash was estimated at $1 million, but the building remained structurally sound. Remarkably, it reopened for business shortly thereafter.
The crash led to legislative changes, including the Federal Tort Claims Act, allowing citizens to sue the government for such accidents.
Another aircraft narrowly missed the building a year later, highlighting ongoing aviation risks in the area.
