NY police: Landing gear part found, is tied to 9/11

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/26/us/new-york-9-11-plane-part/index.html
NY police: Landing gear part found, is tied to 9/11
April 26, 2013


Part of a landing gear was discovered wedged between 51 Park Place and another building.

New York (CNN) -- A piece believed to be from one of the airliners that hit the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, has been found behind the site of an Islamic community center near ground zero, the New York Police Department said Friday.
Investigators are looking into how a part of what appears to be landing gear became wedged between 51 Park Place -- the site of a controversial community center -- and another building, just a few blocks from ground zero.
"If you see how confined this space is, and you realize the chaos that existed on this street, I think it's understandable. It's not that surprising," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
"It's very, very confined and no construction work went on, or no clean up went on in this 18 inch space between the two buildings" after the attacks.
Even so, he said investigators were looking at all possibilities, including whether the part was intentionally placed between the two buildings.
"We are also looking into a possibility it was lowered by a rope," Kelly said, adding that a piece of rope appeared to be intertwined with the part.
But Kelly said an initial investigation show there are no marks on the walls between the two buildings consistent with such an object being lowered. He also said there appears to be a break in the rope and that it came down from the roof on top of the plane part.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators will determine whether the part is from either United Airlines Flight 175 or American Airlines Flight 11, which hit the twin towers, he said.
The part "includes a clearly visible Boeing identification number," police said in a written statement released earlier in the day.
American Airlines and United Airlines declined to comment.
The part was discovered Wednesday by surveyors hired by a property owner. They called 911 to report that they'd found "apparently damaged machinery," police said.
"The NYPD is securing the location as it would a crime scene, documenting it photographically," the statement said.
The plane part will not be moved until after the medical examiner's office completes a health and safety inspection.
"The office of the chief medical examiner will do an in-depth examination of the site to see if there are, in fact, human remains there," Kelly said.
New York police officers were standing guard Friday through the weekend outside the buildings. Investigators are expected to return Monday to determine how to remove the part.
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[MuffyBee]

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/911-Plane-Part-Found-Alley-Near-World-Trade-Center-Towers-Placed-There-204997571.html
Police Question How Plane Part Ended Up in Alley Next to Planned Mosque
April 27, 2013




Police say they are not ruling out the possibility that a 5-foot-long chunk of airplane debris found near the World Trade Center site, believed to be a piece of landing gear from one of the planes that hit the towers more than 11 years ago, could have been placed there deliberately.

NBC 4 New York was the first to report Friday that the part was found wedged between two buildings in a very narrow alley only about 18 inches wide between the rear of 50 Murray St. and the back of 51 Park Place, the site where a mosque and community center has been proposed three blocks from ground zero.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said there was rope intertwined in part of the gear, and there were no marks on the buildings indicating the piece hit the walls on the way down. The part bears a "Boeing" stamp, followed by a series of numbers, as seen in an exclusive photo obtained by NBC 4 New York.

Kelly visited the alley Friday evening and viewed the debris from about 30 feet away. He described the piece as being about 5 feet by 4 feet by 17 inches, lying in a "very, very narrow, confined area."

"Somehow the part gets down there," Kelly said. "Could it have been lowered at some time, it's possible."

Still, Kelly said he was not surprised to see such a large plane part anchored in such a tight area.

"If you see how confined this space is, and you realize the chaos that existed down here on this street, it's not surprising," he said. "No cleanup went on in this 18-inch space between these two buildings."

The NYPD said the landing gear was found after surveyors hired by the property owner inspecting the rear of 51 Park Place called police on Wednesday. See below for a map.

Police spokesman Paul Browne said the NYPD has secured the location "as it would a crime scene," and investigators are photographing the scene and restricting access until the medical examiner completes a health and safety evaluation.

Officials said the soil below the piece of debris could also be searched for remains.

Police officials say the part could be difficult to remove, and may require demolition work that would destroy the two surrounding buildings. Officials are expected to be back at the scene on Monday to see if it can be removed.

"It really is a historical artifact," Kelly said.

When plans for the Islamic center at 51 Park Place were made public in 2010, opponents said they didn't want a mosque so close to where Islamic extremists attacked. They argued the site was "sacred" because landing gear from one of the hijacked Boeing 767 jets had punctured the roof of the building on Sept. 11.

During street protests, they clashed with supporters of the center, who said it would promote harmony between Muslims and followers of other faiths.

The building includes a Muslim prayer space that has been open for three years. After protests died down, the center, called Park51, hosted its first exhibit last year. The space remains under renovation.
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