In 1945, on July 28th, a miraculous event occurred in New York City when Betty Lou Oliver survived a devastating plane crash into the Empire State Building. The tragedy happened when a B-25 Mitchell bomber flying in thick fog accidentally struck the building, resulting in the deaths of 14 people. However, Oliver’s story is particularly remarkable as she managed to survive not one, but two near-death experiences that day.
The bomber had originally been scheduled to land at LaGuardia airport but was unable to do so due to poor visibility. The pilot then decided to attempt a landing in Newark, which led the plane to fly over Manhattan at dangerously low altitudes. In the foggy conditions, the pilot became disoriented and veered off course, causing the plane to crash into the Empire State Building’s north side between the 78th and 80th floors.
The impact of the crash resulted in three fatalities on board and eleven people dying inside the building. A fire broke out and quickly spread throughout the structure, but firefighters managed to extinguish it after just 40 minutes. Despite significant damage caused by the fire, the building’s structural integrity was not compromised – making it an incredible feat for firefighters.
At the time of impact, Betty Lou Oliver was an elevator operator working on floor 80 of the Empire State Building. She was thrown from her position and suffered severe burns as a result of the explosion. After receiving first aid care, Oliver was placed in another elevator to descend to ground level – unaware that its cable had been severed during her fall. As soon as she started moving downwards again, however, disaster struck once more: with no warning whatsoever, her elevator suddenly plummeted downwards for a staggering 75 floors!
Amazingly enough, Betty Lou Oliver survived this second near-death experience as well – despite sustaining multiple injuries including broken bones in her pelvis
