Lieutenant Colonel William Franklin Smith - Flew His B-25 Into The Empire State Building

[@Bumper776]

On Sept. 11th, 2001, I was sitting in a little restaurant when a highway department crew came in and one of them that I knew said: "The radio just said a plane crashed into the World Trade Center in New York." I replied: "Well, back during WW2 a bomber crashed into the Empire State Building, must have happened again." Then when someone else walked in and said that a second plane had struck the WTC, I said: "That is no coincidence."

[@ad-dx9gi]

Thanks for telling this story,,It's been a while since I heard this about the Empire State Building..

[@TrickiVicBB71]

The first time I heard this story was through 9/11 conspiracies in my pre-teen years, finding KZbin. The History Guy did a nice video about the crash 5 years ago. Help me learn more about the story. Thank you for telling us about the pilot and passenger who he was

[@KevinSmith-yh6tl]

I had forgotten about this story. Thanks for the reminder of it. This is why I love this channel!👍

[@War_And_Truth]

Cheers Kevin.

[@KevinSmith-yh6tl]

@War_And_Truth MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIEND!

[@pitsnipe5559]

My mother was working at a doctor’s office a few blocks away when this happened. She recalled the doctors and nurses all grabbing supplies and running to the site. She remembered seeing the flames on the building. Just that morning she had walked through the lobby of the Empire State Building on her way to work.

[@War_And_Truth]

A lot of people who saw this incident and were still alive on 9/11 would have thought back to it no doubt.

[@pitsnipe5559]

@ My cousin’s office was in an adjacent building to the World Trade Center, his office faced those towers. He was working from home that day. When he was finally able to get back into the building, the exterior wall of his office was gone as were everything in the room.

[@iamrichrocker]

incredible building skills on the might Empire building..and after this heroic pilot\crew went thru to perish in such a manner is such an unreal incident..

[@theworldwariioldtimeradioc8676]

Btw, I knew of the story having had news recordings of the event in my collection for over 30 years. I want to thank you for humanizing those on the plane. I have not heard their stories before. Sad to survive combat only to die at home.

[@War_And_Truth]

It was a truly dreadful story.

[@arnenelson4495]

Excellent video, thanks for sharing!

[@edlane9882]

Over confident as a survivor of so many missions. Once again, there are old pilots and bold pilots but there are no old, bold pilots.

[@War_And_Truth]

The number of pilots who have died ignoring bad weather conditions must be staggering.

[@clazy8]

@@edlane9882 from the measures taken afterward, it seems less like overconfidence than the habitual risk tolerance encouraged in war zones.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

​@clazy8 even today people drive cars in fog. We're lucky we don't have regular pile ups. Or we do. 😂

[@MichaelCampin]

How very true, know retired from flying due to age not ability

[@Hobbitma]

I have never heard this story. So so sad. Learning so much on this channel. Thanks for sharing.

[@War_And_Truth]

Thanks for the support.

[@pitsnipe5559]

@@War_And_Truth My mom told us about this when we were kids. She was working nearby when it happened.

[@v.e.7236]

My father was a pilot and I had the flight bug early on, even having recurring dreams of flying, so I made this incident my first essay for a school class (5th grade) and questioned flying in marginal weather, even as a veteran pilot. Fast forward through the years and try and count the number of tragedies due to flying in marginal weather -- Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Kobe Bryant -- I could go on and on but won't. Been a certified pilot since '78 w/ over 20K hrs and all w/o incident.

[@edwardtowle1563]

Heard of it but never had the full story. Thanks for sharing

[@War_And_Truth]

Thanks for listening

[@billwatkins8227]

My mother was there the next day. She saw the tarp hanging on the building. The pilot was in Woodlawn HS in Birmingham Alabama just ahead of my dad.

[@War_And_Truth]

A sobering sight I am sure.

[@theworldwariioldtimeradioc8676]

This could’ve been much worse. The crash happened on a Sunday and back in 1945 most workers had the day off.

[@roberthaysley4245]

My maternal grandfather was in the building when it happened.

[@HotRodMolina]

You should consider an episode about the Normandie Liner in New York harbor.

[@HotRodMolina]

I grew up in Whitestone and climbed up the Bridge anchorage more than once. My friends went up to the towers, but I wouldn't .

[@War_And_Truth]

I'll take a look it as I am not familiar with the story.

[@HotRodMolina]

@@War_And_Truth thank you

[@theworldwariioldtimeradioc8676]

That’s a wild story worth telling.

[@richardmardis2492]

When 9-11 happened- this was the only reference I knew of.

[@War_And_Truth]

I don't think I heard of it even then.

[@richardmardis2492]

@ That and the movie Die Hard

[@aeonsbeyond]

honey I'm home from the war

[@JamesFranklin-hd4tm]

My father saw the wreckage a few days later.

[@richardmcerlean9094]

I remember seeing the building burning from my. Window in my bedroom!

[@War_And_Truth]

Its not easy to capture history.

[@clazy8]

What a tragedy.

[@War_And_Truth]

Fate can be a dreadful thing.

[@trishakraybill5363]

Why was he flying so low ???

[@War_And_Truth]

He thought he was in a different location, getting ready to land.

[@MichaelCampin]

Sorry its either operation Market,the air operation or operation Gaŕden the ground operation, this is a very common mistaje

[@MichaelCampin]

Mistake

[@War_And_Truth]

How many times do you hear of it being referred to anything other than Operation Market Garden? I have to make these videos so that everyone can understand what I am talking about.

[@chrlmmartin7776]

NYCs increadable fire department remains to this day -the best. These guys had to race up all those stairs this is why fire fightibg is so physically demanding.

[@Tal-q3r]

the moose jaw, SK 🇨🇦 'incident'

[@mssmith3604]

I love the advertisements every three minutes.

[@KevinSmith-yh6tl]

WOW! How observant. And it only happens on this channel? Gee Whilikers, we should do something about this!!! Lets all start a petition.

[@War_And_Truth]

Not much I can do about that.

[@KevinSmith-yh6tl]

@@War_And_Truth Yeah that's what I was trying to get across to that guy, in a sarcastic way. Some people just have to have something to complain about.

[@mssmith3604]

@@KevinSmith-yh6tl You were undoubtedly busy with some personal business down there and thus didn't mind the interruptions, but I was closely following the story and became annoyed at all the ads, and when they're inside a video, there is nothing you can do about them. At the start of a video there is a method, but that's irrelevant. No, it doesn't happen on every channel. I've watched KZbin videos with very few ads. Why they saturated War_And_Truth's video with ads is known but to KZbin.

[@KevinSmith-yh6tl]

@mssmith3604 "Busy with personal business down there?" What a pervert thing to say. You really sound like a frustrated person. I do feel pity for you.

[@GermanShepherd1983]

It sounds like the pilot was totally incompetent.

[@billwatkins8227]

@@GermanShepherd1983 read the book “The sky is falling”. There were so many variables that day that being incompetent is a bit harsh. You will love the book.

[@pmccoy8924]

That day was an absolute disaster in the sky over NY. He was a highly skilled airman.

[@billwatkins8227]

@ have you read the book?

[@GermanShepherd1983]

@@pmccoy8924 The air controller told him to return to to his departure point and he ignored the recommendation. I'd say Wm Smith was to blame.

[@pmccoy8924]

@ of course. He was the captain. Nobody else to blame but him. Incompetence isn’t the right word choice is all.