As NYC crane collapse trial nears end, 2 versions of small failures appear as felling big rig
By APMonday, July 19, 2010
Trial of rigger in NYC crane collapse nears end
NEW YORK — The two sides in the manslaughter trial surrounding a deadly New York City crane collapse are drawing competing pictures of small parts causing a cascade of failures that brought down the towering rig.
Closing arguments are being delivered Monday in William Rapetti’s trial.
Seven people died in the March 2008 crash.
Prosecutors say the crane fell because Rapetti did a reckless job of deploying four heavy-duty polyester straps. They say the straps failed and unleashed a nearly 6-ton piece of steel that broke the crane’s ties to the skyscraper it was building.
Defense lawyers are focusing on problems with pinholes that helped anchor the beams used to link the crane to the building.
They say one of the pinholes gave way, so a beam broke loose, and that rupture rocked and tipped the crane.
