A rusted 5-foot (1.5-metre)-tall piece of landing gear believed to be from one of the hijacked planes destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks has been discovered near the World Trade Center wedged between a luxury apartment building and a mosque site that once prompted virulent national debate about Islam and free speech.
The twisted metal part, jammed in an 18-inch wide sliver of open space between the buildings, has cables and levers on it and is about 17 inches (431 millimeters) wide and 4 feet (1.2 meters) long, New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Friday.
“It’s a manifestation of a horrific terrorist act a block and a half away from where we stand,” he said. “So, sure, it brings back terrible memories to anyone who was here or who was involved in that event.”
Kelly edged down the narrow passageway to look at the object Friday evening, noting there is also a piece of rope intertwined with the part in what looks like a broken pulley that may have come down from the roof of the site of the planned Islamic community center, at 51 Park Place.