July 28, 1945

On this day in history in 1945 a plane crashed into the Empire State Building.

A Foggy Crash

Many of us grew up in the shadow of 9/11 when we watched on TV as two planes crashed into the World Trade Center, yet there was a time a half decade before when another plane crashed into another one of New York's most famous buildings. Far from the commercial airliners the 9/11 planes were this one was a military plane. In particular it was a B-25 Mitchell bomber that carried two pilots and one passenger.

The Empire State Building burning after a plane hit the 79th floor

The aircraft took off from New Bedford, Massachusetts and was headed to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. However, on that morning the fog was particularly thick throughout the city and the plane was directed to land at Newark Airport instead. The problem with this change is that it would bring the plane through Manhattan, where visibility was so bad they were warned they may not even be able to see the Empire State Building, the tallest building in the city.

As the plane careened through the city it flew low and slow for better visibility. Then the Chrysler Building 'jumped out' at them among the fog and the pilots swerved to avoid the building. Although they did avoid it the swerve sent them straight into the north side of the Empire State Building at the 79th floor.

Crashing into History

The hole where the plane hit at the 79th floor

When it made impact with the building the plane's fuel exploded, sending flames all the way down to the building's 75th floor. If there was anything lucky about the event it's that it occurred on a Saturday when fewer workers than normal were in the building. However, all 11 workers in the office where the plane hit were killed. The 3 people aboard the plane also died.

The plane crash left an 18 by 20 foot hole in the side of the Empire State Building, which cost nearly $1 million to repair ($10.5 million in today's money).