May 16, 1977 – Pan Am Building

Okay imagine this…  It’s May 16, 1977, 5PM rush hour (I’m 17 hours old BTW).… you are going on a business trip and since you are a VP you’ve been approved to take the fancy helicopter from the Pan Am building above Grand Central Terminal.  It’s going to take only 10 minutes to your Pan Am flight leaving from JFK.

You would have been the first in line but you decide to stop for a pack of Carltons and a quick smoke.  You are a little nervous this afternoon about flying.  Finally you get to the roof and after the copter lands it lets off about 20 people and starts to take on new passengers.  You hear this loud noise and the next thing you know you are on the ground.  It all happens so fast, and you are now dripping wet in blood.  The landing gear failed and caused the blades to come down and slice the 4 people that were standing in front of you.  You think you saw a head roll by, but you aren’t sure what you saw because after the copter went silent you stood up slipped on some blood and ran for safety.  You heard from someone that there were legs, arms and heads scattered. 

Later you saw on the news that a fifth victim walking on 43rd was hit and killed with part of the copter blade.  The next day you quit, bought a horse farm and moved up north.  

Well it’s all true except you weren’t there and the story may have been a little different.  The copter’s blades did slice and kill 5 people this day 34 years ago on top of the Pan Am building.  The very popular way to get to JFK in ten minutes from Midtown was SHUT DOWN, and no helicopters were allowed to land on buildings. 

You should read the NY Times article from May 17^th.  It’s gross, crazy and sad. 

I walk by this building almost every day.  Last week I looked up and felt like taking a picture and that’s how you became a VP in my story.  There was a lot of controversy over this building and many people protested it.  They said it would take the sun away from Park Avenue and that the structure was just ugly.  I guess I can see both points however I often catch myself looking up in amazement.  Originally it was to be called Grand Central City, but that was before Pan Am arrived and took up 15 floors. 

The building was the world’s largest commercial building when it opened in 1963.  The last building put up before a law was passed to prevent logos and names on the top of buildings.  In 1992 after Pan Am was completely buried MetLife decided to remove the sign from the building.  So sad.  Wahh.

Some cool photos I took last week:

Anyway – there you have it, some NYC history from the day I was born.  I want to buy this bag:  Pan Am or TWA?  Should I buy it?  Cool Bag