It was a mess. Pure chaos. On July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber literally slammed into the 79th floor of the world’s most iconic skyscraper. People usually think of 9/11 when they hear about a plane Empire State Building collision, but this was a totally different beast. It wasn't an act of war or terror. It was just a pilot, some thick soup-like fog, and a really bad decision to stay low.
The pilot was Lieutenant Colonel William Franklin Smith Jr. He was a war hero. Honestly, the guy had flown dozens of combat missions in Europe, so he wasn't some rookie. He was trying to get to Newark Airport from Massachusetts. But New York City was socked in. Visibility was basically zero. Air traffic control told him to land, but he thought he could make it. He was wrong.
He ended up weaving through the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan. Witnesses on the ground heard the roar of the engines before they saw the wings. He missed the Chrysler Building. He missed several others. Then, out of the gray, the Empire State Building appeared. He tried to climb. He tried to bank. It didn't matter.
The Moment of Impact: Ripping Through the 79th Floor
The crash happened at 9:40 AM. The B-25, weighing about ten tons, hit the north side of the building. It carved a hole 18 feet wide and 20 feet high. One engine went straight through the building, flew out the other side, and landed on the roof of a penthouse across the street. The other engine and part of the landing gear tumbled down an elevator shaft.
Fire broke out instantly. High-octane fuel poured down the hallways and cascaded down the stairwells.
There’s this crazy detail most people miss: the 79th floor was the headquarters of the National Catholic Welfare Conference. Most of the people killed were staff members working on war relief. It’s dark irony, really. These people were trying to help a world ravaged by war, only to have a war machine fly into their office during a peacetime transport mission.
- Eleven people in the building died.
- The three crew members on the plane died instantly.
- The total death toll was 14.
It could have been way worse. Since it was a Saturday, the building wasn't at full capacity. If this had happened on a Tuesday at 2:00 PM, we’d be talking about hundreds of casualties. The 1940s weren't exactly known for modern fire suppression systems, and the fuel fire was intense.
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The Miracle of Betty Lou Oliver
You’ve probably heard of "Final Destination" luck, but Betty Lou Oliver lived it. She was an elevator operator. When the plane hit, the impact severed the cables of her elevator. She was on the 80th floor.
The car plunged.
It fell 75 stories. Roughly 1,000 feet.
Basically, the severed cables coiled at the bottom of the shaft, acting like a giant, rusty spring. This, combined with the air pressure trapped in the shaft as the car fell, cushioned the impact just enough. She survived. She had a broken back, broken legs, and a broken pelvis, but she lived. It’s still the Guinness World Record for the longest survived elevator fall.
Imagine being her. You’re already recovering from minor injuries caused by the initial plane impact, then you get put into a rescue elevator that immediately snaps and drops you into the basement. Talk about a bad day at the office.
Why the Building Didn't Collapse
People always ask why the plane Empire State Building crash didn't bring the whole thing down. It’s a valid question. The B-25 was a medium bomber, significantly smaller and slower than the commercial jets of 2001.
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The Empire State Building is built like a tank. It’s a "heavy" steel-frame structure. In 1931, they weren't trying to optimize every ounce of steel; they were just trying to build the tallest, strongest thing possible. The limestone and brick masonry also provided massive structural redundancy.
The fire was the biggest threat, but it didn't burn hot enough or long enough to melt the steel. Also, the B-25 carried way less fuel than a Boeing 767. We’re talking about 800 gallons versus 20,000 gallons. That’s the difference between a localized disaster and a structural failure.
Workers were back in the building on Monday. Seriously. They boarded up the holes, cleaned the soot, and went back to work while the upper floors were still being repaired. That’s old-school New York for you.
Modern Lessons and What We Get Wrong
When we look back at the plane Empire State Building incident, we tend to romanticize the "toughness" of the era, but there were huge failures here. Smith was told by the Newark tower that the weather was below minimums. He was warned. He chose to "visualize" his way through a city he didn't know perfectly from the air.
Today, this wouldn't happen because of TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions) and advanced radar. But even in 1945, it was a lapse in judgment.
Common misconceptions about the crash:
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- The building swayed significantly. Actually, it barely budged. The masonry absorbed the shock.
- The plane was a heavy bomber. Nope, the B-25 was a medium bomber. If it had been a B-29 Superfortress, the damage would have been catastrophic.
- It was an accident caused by engine failure. No, the engines were fine until they hit the limestone. This was 100% pilot error due to weather.
The cost of the damage was about $1 million at the time. In today's money, that's roughly $16 million. That sounds low, honestly. It shows how much more expensive and complex skyscraper repair has become in the modern age.
Takeaway for History Buffs and Travelers
If you’re visiting New York, go to the Empire State Building. Look at the 79th and 80th floors on the north side. You won't see any scars because the stonework was matched perfectly during the 1940s repair, but the history is there.
How to Explore This History:
- Visit the 80th Floor Exhibit: The building has a permanent museum on the 2nd and 80th floors. They touch on the construction and the history, though they don't lead with the crash for obvious marketing reasons.
- Check the Records: The New York Public Library holds the original fire department records and photographs from that day. They are chilling.
- Look at the Architecture: Notice the "setbacks" in the building's design. These were required by 1916 zoning laws, but they also acted as a safety feature, preventing debris from falling directly onto the sidewalk in large quantities.
The 1945 crash remains a testament to the sheer strength of Art Deco engineering. It survived a bomber. It survived the Great Depression. It survived the rise of much taller glass towers.
Understanding what happened that day isn't just about morbid curiosity. It’s about understanding the limits of human skill and the resilience of the structures we build. Lieutenant Colonel Smith was a hero of the war, but he was a human who made a mistake in the clouds. The building, however, didn't make a mistake. It stood its ground.
Next time you see the spire lit up at night, remember that for a few hours in 1945, it was a scene of fire and twisted metal, and yet, life in the city barely skipped a beat.
Actionable Insight for Your Visit:
If you want to see the exact point of impact from the ground, stand on West 34th Street near 5th Avenue and look up toward the north face of the 79th floor. While there's no plaque on the exterior, knowing the geometry of the engine's path—one flying south through the building and one falling down the shaft—helps you visualize the incredible force that the steel frame successfully resisted. For a deeper dive, the "Skyscraper Museum" in Lower Manhattan often features structural blueprints that explain exactly how the Empire State Building’s "over-engineering" saved it that day.