In 1960, two airplanes crashed into each other above New York City. There were no survivors.
AP Photo/John Lindsay; AP Photo
In 1960, two airplanes crashed above New York City.
One of the planes crashed in Park Slope, Brooklyn, in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
Photos from the crash show how devastating and unbelievable the scene was.
On December 16, 1960, Park Slope, Brooklyn, became the home of the worst aviation disaster the world had ever seen.
Two New York-bound flights from the Midwest crossed paths, one from United and one from TWA, The New York Times reported in a story marking the 50th anniversary of the crash in 2010.
Neither pilot reported distress, but the United plane reportedly showed signs of navigational systems malfunctioning. It was flying at 360 miles per hour when it struck the TWA plane, causing plane debris to fall to the neighborhoods below.
Here are photos that show what the scene looked like in 1960.
On December 16, 1960, there was "a distinctly new kind of catastrophe" when two airplanes collided over New York City, The New York Times reported.
The scene of the wreckage, where a United plane and a TWA plane collided over Brooklyn.
AP
The tail of one of the planes landed in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, while the other landed in Staten Island.
The scene of the wreckage, where a United plane and a TWA plane collided over Brooklyn.
AP
Part of the United Airlines jet, plus debris, took over the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Sterling Place.
The scene of the wreckage, where a United plane and a TWA plane collided over Brooklyn.
AP
At first, people were in shock and didn't know what had happened. The "United" lettering still visible on the tail was their first clue.
Police and people investigate the wreckage of the United plane.
AP
Some residents said that they'd felt the whole street shaking.
Wreckage in the street near a Brooklyn grocery store.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
The New York Times reported that an entire block of buildings was set ablaze by the crash, sparked by excess fuel.
An overhead look at the street where the wreckage was found.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
At least 10 buildings were destroyed by the flames.
An overhead look at the street where the wreckage was found.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
A plane part struck a church as it fell. Here, firefighters attempt to put out a fire.
Firefighters attempt to put out a blaze at the destroyed church.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
In all, 2,500 people were involved in containing the fire and helping the injured, including police, firemen, doctors, and nurses, The New York Times reported.
Firefighters put out blazes in nearby buildings.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
Residents were evacuated from apartments and shops.
Firefighters put out blazes in nearby buildings.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
A 25-foot piece of one of the wings had smashed through a brownstone, The New York Times reported.
A building sits amongst the rubble.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
The neighborhood where the plane crashed was heavily populated, and people looked on as police and firemen worked the rescue mission.
People watch the scene of the crash.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
Police and firefighters searched for survivors of the wreck.
The scene of the wreckage, where a United plane and a TWA plane collided over Brooklyn.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
But unfortunately, there were none.
An overhead look at the street where the wreckage was found.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
The accident killed all 128 passengers aboard the two planes, as well as six bystanders in Brooklyn. At the time, it was the deadliest accident in aviation history.
A side street near the wreckage.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
The neighborhood was littered with the debris and wreckage.
Police and people investigate the wreckage of the United plane.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
An aerial view shows how eerie and out of place the scene looked.
An overhead look at the street where the wreckage was found.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
Two days after the crash, authorities severed parts of the plane to remove it from the Brooklyn street.
Someone working on severing the wing of the plane in order to remove it from the street.
AP Photo/John Lindsay
One survivor from the scene was Brian Mulraney's cat, Jennie. Mulraney evacuated his building after the plane crashed across the street, then ran back in to save his cat.
Brian Mulraney and his cat, Jennie, were both survivors of the crash.
