By Ben Fractenberg and Josh Williams
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The operator of a crane that smashed in to a 25-story building in the Financial District over the weekend had his license temporarily suspended by the city pending a hearing later this week.
Crane operator Christopher Cosban was accused of failing to secure the structure before it crashed into 80 Maiden Lane Saturday night.
Officials investigating the accident told the New York Times that Cosban did not lower the boom as far as it could go, contributing to the crash.
The building has since been determined structurally sound, the Department of Buildings confirmed.
A spokesman for the DOB said Cosban was suspended for failing to secure the crane and that he must appear before the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings at some point later in the week.
“A Department of Buildings investigation determined that Mr. Cosban failed to leave the crane in the safest position possible,” said Tony Sclafani, noting that Cosban had a license permitting him to operate any type of crane in New York City.
Investigators explained that they might issue further citations and are looking into whether mechanical failure was also a contributing factor.
"We are looking at its mechanical operation, how it was set up and how it was operated," Ted Fitzgerald, a spokesman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), told The Daily News.
The crane smashed into the 23rd floor of 80 Maiden Lane Saturday evening after workers had already left for the weekend. Pieces of the building’s façade fell 23 stories to the sidewalk but did not hit any pedestrians.
Residents were evacuated from neighboring buildings after the accident and allowed back into their residencies early Sunday morning after the crane was finally lowered to the ground.
The crane was leased by Skylift Master Riggers of Orient, L.I. according to the News and is owned by Bay Crane Services of Long Island City, Queens.
