Small Aircraft Crashes Into Manhattan Building

Crap.

Here's the blurb:

A small aircraft crashed into a high-rise on the Upper East Side, setting off a fire and startling New Yorkers, police said. There were conflicting reports on whether the aircraft was a small plane or a helicopter.

Fire Department spokeswoman Emily Rahimi said an aircraft struck struck the 20th floor of a building on East 72nd Street. Witnesses said the crash caused a loud noise, and burning and falling debris was seen. Flames were seen shooting out of the windows. Video from the scene showed at least three apartments in the high rise fully engulfed in flames.

"There's huge pieces of debris falling," said one witness who refused to give her full name. "There's so much falling now, I've got to get away."

Whether anyone was injured was not known, and it was unclear if the crash was an act of terrorism.

The address of the building is 524 E. 72nd Street _ a 50-story condominium tower built in 1986 and located nearby Sotheby's Auction House. It has 183 apartments, many of which sell for more than $1 million.

No idea if it's pilot error, engine trouble, or a terrorist attack. Could be a lone "youth of indeterminate nationality" going it alone. We'll see...

UPDATE: NORAD has scrambled fighters over major US cities, NYPD flooding streets for "Level 3 Mobilization", protecting government, religious, and other critical areas...

UPDATE II: People trapped, 2 confirmed dead...

UPDATE III: Plane was piloted by NY Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle. He died in the crash.