New York City crane collapse linked to company and operator with history of safety violations

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — As authorities continue to investigate a crane collapse that rained thousands of pounds of steel debris onto a busy Manhattan street, the owner and operator of the failed crane are facing scrutiny over past safety failures. The tower crane owned by New York Crane and Equipment Corp. was hoisting concrete Wednesday when a fire broke out in the machine’s cab. The flames burned through a cable holding the crane’s arm, sending it crashing to the ground. Though no one was seriously hurt, the near-catastrophe stirred memories of past crane collapses. Two of the city’s most disastrous crane collapses of the past involved cranes owned by New York Crane and Equipment. Phone messages left with the company Thursday weren’t immediately returned.