Part of landing gear apparently from one of the jetliners that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, has been found wedged between two buildings, one of them a mosque site, in Lower Manhattan, the NYPD said Friday.
The debris is stuck between the back of 51 Park Place and the rear of 50 Murray Street, according to Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne.
“The NYPD is securing the location as it would a crime scene, documenting it photographically and restricting access until the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner completes its health and safety evaluation protocol, after which a decision will be made concerning sifting the soil for possible human remains,” Browne said in a statement. “The aircraft part will not be removed until the process is completed, at which point it will secured by the NYPD Property Clerk.”
Browne said that surveyors hired by the property owners of 51 Park Place, where an Islamic cultural center is planned, found the debris when they were checking out the back of the building on Wednesday. The surveyor called 911 and police responded.
The debris has a clearly visible Boeing identification number, Browne said. (link with more pics)