Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Beams Crashing Down 40 Stories At WTC Site "Sounded Like A Bomb"
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 17, 2012
Modified Feb 17, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 17, 2012
Modified Feb 17, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday, a number of beams fell from a crane about 40 stories at the World Trade Center site's Tower 4, hitting a truck. Only one person suffered minor injuries in the incident that one ironworker said "sounded like a bomb."
It turns out that the crane's cable snapped—another ironworker said, "The cable looked like a snake coming down. Then all hell broke loose"— and the objects that fell were "three 62-foot-long steel beams weighing an estimated 38,000 pounds." And they fell onto the truck that had brought them to the site—the driver was still in the truck's cab, but he wasn't injured. Here's raw video from the scene—also, here's a dizzying picture taken from WTC 1, looking at Tower 4:
Via a reader
The site's contractor, Tishman Construction, says it is investigating the incident. According to the Post, "Investigators were checking at least two possible causes for the disaster. One was a hydraulic failure on the crane... A failure in the hydraulic system could have caused the cable to suddenly unspool from the winches that control it. As the cable and its load suddenly dropped, an emergency braking system would kick in. If the brakes are applied too abruptly, they can cause the cable to snap, said sources. Another possibility was that as the crane was raised over the last few days, an engineer miscalculated the amount of play the cable would need. A cable can snap if it has too much or too little slack, said sources."
In 2007, a sling holding seven tons of steel fell 25 stories onto a trailer at the Goldman Sachs building site, injuring architect Robert Woo who was inside. Woo has been trying to regain mobility with help of a robotic exoskeleton.
Tagged
cable
crane
crash
tower 4
world trade center
wtc
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Plainclothes ICE agent with long gun looked like mass shooter, Mayor Mamdani says
The mayor said his administration would review ICE and NYPD actions surrounding Thursday’s shooting.
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 11, 2026 at 1:49 p.m. ET
NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday
NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NJ Transit riders face 5 weeks of schedule disruptions starting Sunday
NJ Transit and Amtrak riders should prepare for cancellations, schedule changes and longer commutes as work continues on the new Portal North Bridge.
By
Giulia Heyward
For a Democrat in a traditionally red NJ district, how to woo Republican voters
By
Mike Hayes
2 pedestrians killed in Bronx crash after driver ran red light, police say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Ann Givens
Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .