Probe into New York crane collapse could take weeks

NEW YORK — It may take weeks to determine why a huge construction crane that was being lowered during strong winds came crashing down onto a street, killing a pedestrian and crushing a row of parked cars, city officials said Saturday.

Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from nearby buildings and poring over the twisted, crumpled steel of the 565-foot-long crane, which came thundering down onto a Manhattan street 10 blocks north of the World Trade Center during Friday morning’s commute.

Wall Street worker David Wichs, 38, was walking along the street and was killed. Three other people were injured.

Officials said they recovered the mobile crane’s movement-recording computer, which could provide clues — such as the angle of the boom — as to why the crane fell. But they cautioned its data was just one piece of the puzzle.

“It is not the equivalent of a black box,” Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler said. “But I don’t want to set the expectations too high. It’s not going to give us data on wind speeds or the actions of the operators.”

Work crews crawling over the sprawling accident site began to slice up the downed crane into as many as 35 pieces, which will be loaded by four other cranes onto flatbed trucks and removed for further study.

The crane was used to install generators and air conditioning units atop a nearby high-rise and had been inspected by the Department of Buildings on Thursday to approve an extension, officials said. It had the capacity to carry as much as 330 tons.

The crane’s operator tested negative for drugs or alcohol and was cooperating with investigators.