Sightseeing plane crashes, killing 4
New York A small plane on a sightseeing tour over Coney Island went into a tailspin and slammed into the famous beach Saturday, killing all four people aboard but injuring none of the stunned sunbathers who witnessed the crash.
The victims died at the scene of the afternoon crash of the Cessna 172S, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker said. There were relatively few people on the beach at the time, and no one on the ground was hurt.
Eyewitnesses said the plane was circling above the Brooklyn beach when its engine suddenly stalled, and the aircraft quickly plunged into the beach. The pilot tried desperately to right the four-year-old plane after it went into a tailspin, one witness said.
The cause of the crash was unknown, and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
Sleepover fire kills 7 children, 2 adults
Cleveland A fire broke out at a crowded house during a children’s sleepover early Saturday, killing seven kids and two adults, the fire department said.
The fire was so hot it scorched the frame of the home jet black and forced back neighbors who rushed in to help.
Eleven people were in the house when the blaze started about 3 a.m., and two children were there for a sleepover, officials said. The victims included a woman and four of her children; two people at the house survived.
An initial investigation indicated the fire at the 99-year-old home was an accident.
As daylight broke, dozens of neighbors, family and friends gathered near the scene, hugging and crying.
Henry Fonda honored on postage stamp
Washington, D.C.
With the 11th stamp in its Legends of Hollywood series, the U.S. Postal Service honors Henry Fonda, one of America’s greatest actors, on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
The Henry Fonda commemorative postage stamp was dedicated in a special ceremony today at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.
More than 100 million stamps were available at post offices and philatelic centers nationwide beginning Saturday.
Previous Legend of Hollywood honorees include Marilyn Monroe (1995), James Dean (1996), Humphrey Bogart (1997), Alfred Hitchcock (1998), James Cagney (1999), Edward G. Robinson (2000), Lucille Ball (2001), Cary Grant (2002), Audrey Hepburn (2003) and John Wayne (2004).
Henry Fonda typically played thoughtful men of integrity and was associated with the American characters he portrayed.
Boy is rescued from toy vending machine
Elkhart, Ind. A crane vending machine can be frustrating enough when you’re trying to snatch a little stuffed toy from its steely clutches. Imagine if the prize it’s denying you is your own 3-year-old son.
James Manges II managed to climb up the chute and inside one of the machines Thursday, swinging around for an hour amid the plush toys he coveted before firefighters freed him.
James’ mother, Danielle Manges, said they had paid a morning visit to a Wal-Mart in this northern Indiana city because he had been sick and was sleeping odd hours. After she denied him money to play the vending- machine game, he threw a juice box and climbed into the machine as his mother picked it up.
Firefighters removed the back of the machine to free James – who went home empty-handed.