On July 28, 1945, 75 years ago, a dense, gloomy fog blanketed New York City. Betty Lou Oliver headed to her job at the Empire State Building that morning, where she served as an elevator girl — a role that involved manually operating elevators in the era before automation took over. She had taken the position to keep busy while her husband was stationed overseas, and as it happened, she had already submitted her resignation. This was supposed to be one of her final days on the job.
That same morning, a B-25 bomber making its approach toward La Guardia airport found itself nearly blind in the heavy fog. Even though strict regulations prohibited aircraft from dropping below 2000 feet over New York airspace, the pilot brought the plane down to 1000 feet in a desperate attempt to spot the airport. By the time the crew grasped what was happening, they were on a direct collision course with the Empire State Building, which stands 1454 feet tall. The pilot threw the plane into a hard bank to dodge the structure, but it was too late. The bomber tore through the building, killing everyone aboard the aircraft. The sheer momentum carried wreckage forward, sending it crashing into the Waldorf building.
When the impact occurred, Betty Lou was inside her elevator alongside another woman. While Betty Lou survived the initial collision, the other woman was tragically killed on impact. Rescue crews quickly reached Betty Lou and started treating her for burns she had sustained. Then disaster struck a second time — the elevator, its structure badly compromised by the crash, gave way and plunged 75 stories to the ground. Incredibly, Betty Lou survived the fall as well. Betty Lou Oliver earned lasting fame for enduring two catastrophes in a single day, and she went on to live a long, healthy life alongside her husband and three children.