Chapter 2 - plane collision in new york

Question 1

4. On 28th July 1945 a B-25 plane flown by Colonel W. F. Smith, Jr., flew into the Empire State building, hitting the 79th floor, to cause localised damage to the building.

Why did the building remain standing?

What do you think might have happened had the plane made impact at the mid-floor level?

What basic requirement was inherent in the frame structure, although at the time of construction was not specially designed for

Answer 1

1. the building remained standing due to the impact perfectly alginign with the column on the face of the tower. the plane tore out a steel column and bent back another beam.
2. if the impact occurred on the middle floor, the Empire State Building might have remained standing due to the distribution of loads and steel beams.
3. the building remained standing due to redundancy incorporated into the structural design. so as the one steel beam failed an alternative load path for the forces where distributed down.

Question 2

5. Since 1946 has there been an accidental impact of an aircraft into a New York City skyscraper?

What change in technology has made this type of aircraft incident very unlikely to occur? 3

Answer 2

1. no planes have accidentally crashed into any New York skyscrapers.
2. increasing technology and instruments in planes has massively reduced the risk