Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
10th Anniversary Of Flight 587 Crash In Queens
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 12, 2011
Modified Nov 12, 2011
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 Nov 12, 2011
Modified Nov 12, 2011
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
Ten years ago today, American Airlines Flight 587 bound for the Dominican Republic took from the JFK Airport. Turbulent air led the co-pilot to use the rudder to keep the plane up, but the rudder broke off. All 260 people on board—251 passengers and 9 crew members— and five people on the ground were killed when the plane crashed into the quiet residential neighborhood of Belle Harbor Queens. This morning, Mayor Bloomberg will be joining hundreds to remember the victims at the Flight 587 Memorial 17 blocks from the actual crash site.
The crash occurred just two months after the 9/11 attacks, and immediately there were fears that it was another terrorist attack. When the memorial was being planned, some criticized that it was being built away from the actual site, but now homes damaged from the crash were rebuilt and the memorial is closer to a subway station. There is a marker at the crash location, Beach 131st and Newport Avenue.
The crash is still the "second deadliest aviation accident on U.S. soil."
Tagged
belle harbor
Flight 587
Flight 587 memorial
plane crash
queens
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
Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say
Police are investigating a related incident in which a 62-year-old woman was found injured beneath the Van Wyck Expressway.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. ET
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
News
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
The wounded man said he didn't learn ICE agents were involved until he woke up in the hospital.
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
Brooklyn school dean says MTA officers assaulted him over a $3 bus fare he says he paid
By
Carol Chen
National Grid customers in NYC will see higher gas bills this winter
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bruce Blakeman joins Gov. Hochul in support for expanding NY rape law
By
Jon Campbell
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 .