Truly Tasteless Post Headline Of The Day

‘Bomber’ Pilot Crashes Plane:

Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle was instantly killed yesterday when his small plane slammed into an Upper East Side high-rise and exploded in flames.

The crash, which also killed Lidle’s flight instructor, spewed fiery debris onto the street, spurred a frenzied evacuation of building residents, and sent military fighter jets scrambling over Manhattan amid fears of another terror attack.

“[The plane] was sputtering. It looked like it lost a tail rudder. It went into the building sideways,” said Erroll Gindi, a witness to the disaster at 524 E. 72nd St., on the corner of York Avenue. “There was a deafening crash, and flames shot out of the building.”

. . .

A helicopter pilot who had been in the air over the East River at the time told authorities that he watched as Lidle’s plane performed wild “acrobatic maneuvers” moments before the crash, indicating that its pilot was likely trying to avoid the building as it experienced control problems.

Lidle’s death stunned the Yankee organization, which continues to mourn the 1979 loss of beloved Bronx Bomber catcher Thurman Munson in a plane crash.

Yes, yes — we know they’re called the Bombers, but jeez, can you not be so clever for one lousy day?

Then there’s this charming observation which I’m guessing isn’t in the Times:

The crash disintegrated most of the light plane, and both bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Last night, one of the victims remained strapped in his seat in the mangled cockpit, which lay on the street in front of the building.

The body of the other victim had been torn in half, with the lower part of his torso still missing.

See also: Yankee Cory Lidle Was On Plane That Crashed . . .; Yeesh.