01.06.2015

Load dropped in NY

A large mobile crane dropped its load yesterday in central Manhattan, New York after part of the load rigging failed.

The load was being lifted by a 500 tonne Liebherr All Terrain owned by Bay Crane and was rigged with around 50 metres of main boom and 70 metres of luffing jib. The crane was given a clean bill of health and was not related to the cause of the incident.
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The crane and fallen load

It looks as though it was lifting the load - said to be a four tonne air conditioning unit - into an opening in the building created at a height of around 110 metres. It was working with a rigging beam to allow the load to be moved in through the opening.
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The crane was rigged with around 50m of main boom and a full luffing jib

The load dropped to the street below, smashing into the side of the building a couple of times on the way down, causing substantial damage. On the ground up to 10 people, including two construction workers, were reported to have been injured by flying debris. The road below the lift was closed off at the time. One local report claims that a lifting strap broke, causing the failure.
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The load dropped after the rigging gave way just before the load was slid into the building

The job was - we are told - being managed and rigged by Skylift Master Riggers of Brooklyn, although we do not have full confirmation of this.
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Substantial damage was caused on the way down