Picking Up the Pieces in the Lidle Crash

AFTERMATH crash stain As you no doubt know by now, former Met and Phillie-turned-Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, 34, and his flight instructor were killed in a crash into a 42-story apartment building at 524 E. 72nd St. yesterday afternoon. All of the facts are here or here, and even here. But a day later, these are the sticky details.... • Caught on tape: Of course, cameras caught the crash. They're U.S. Coast Guard cameras ... from far away. The close-up stuff is surely tied up in a bidding war.

• Lidle's double: Same story as above. Lidle has a twin brother.

• Goriest details: The New York Post throws red meat to its readers with this observation: "Last night, one of the victims remained strapped in his seat in the mangled cockpit, which lay on the street in front of the building."

• Strike anywhere : The North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled at least two F-15 fighter jets, initially fearing terrorism, but called them back when it was clear the crash was an accident. Translation: Military jets are never more than a few minutes away (this time coming from Otis Air National Guard Base in Boston).

• Hockey, interrupted: Lidle's passport was found on the ground at the crash site. (And Newsday's link to this fact inexplicably has the phrase "hockey-headlines" in it).

• Missed opportunity: The plane was flying zigzags before crashing, eyewitnesses said. It had a parachute, but it was not deployed.