NEW YORK, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- The New York Yankees confirmed pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor died when their plane hit a Manhattan high-rise and burst into flames Wednesday.
New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center were treating 21 patients, including 15 firefighters, one police officer and five civilians. The hospital did not release further details, but CNN said none of the injured were residents of the high-rise.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner issued a statement Wednesday evening confirming Lidle's death, which he called "a terrible and shocking tragedy that has stunned the entire Yankees organization," CNN reported.
Yankees Manager Joe Torre said the single-engine Cirrus SR-20 plane was registered to Lidle, 34.
The plane struck the Bellaire Apartments near Rockefeller University about 15 minutes after taking off about 2:30 p.m. EDT from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The crash touched off a roaring fire that burned for about 90 minutes.
"It looks like the plane just flew into someone's living room," witness Sarah Steiner told CNN.
The plane struck about two-thirds of the way up the 50-story building. CNN said there was a mayday call shortly before the crash indicating there may have been a fuel problem.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.
