A small airplane has crashed into a high-rise residential building in New York City, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation says there is no indication that terrorism is the cause.
Television footage from the scene showed fire and smoke pouring out of four windows on two upper floors of the residential building on Manhattan's upper east side. The crash rained flaming debris on the streets below.
Police and rescue officials are on the scene. At least two fatalities are being reported. News reports Wednesday evening said the plane was registered to Cory Lidle, a pitcher for the New York Yankees professional baseball team.
Despite indications that the crash was an accident, the North American air defense agency, NORAD, sent out fighter aircraft to patrol the airspace over several U.S. cities. It would not identify those cities.
The crash struck fear into a city that was devastated by the attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001, when terrorists flew jumbo jets into each of the World Trade Center's twin towers.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.
