Bob Leckie was extremely busy last week preparing his St. Peter’s College men’s basketball team for its season opener against Florida International University in Miami. In doing so, Leckie had to try to forget the nightmare of the previous season, the worst in St. Peter’s history. But that disaster didn’t even scrape the surface of the calamity that Leckie witnessed firsthand on Monday in the moments after American Airlines Flight 587 crashed near Leckie’s home in Belle Harbor, N.Y.
Leckie was at the restaurant he owns, the Wharf Bar and Grill, on 116th Street in Belle Harbor when he heard a thundering roar.
"I know it was an explosion, because I heard it," Leckie said. "I ran outside the door and saw the tail section of the plane coming down, floating down. It was like someone took a piece of paper and it was floating in the air, right into the bay. I then looked to my right and saw the cloud of smoke. I immediately got in my car and drove like a madman to the scene."
When Leckie saw the plane go down, he immediately worried about his home. His wife and two sons were nearby, on 135th Street.
"I couldn’t tell where it was at first when I was driving there," Leckie said. "I couldn’t tell if it was my block, my house, so I kept driving as fast as I could. When I got closer, I was somewhat relieved that it wasn’t my block and my house. But the fear was in my mind. Suppose my wife was walking down that block? Or my son was skateboarding down the block. The kids were out of school, so I had all kinds of things racing through my mind."
Leckie got as close as he possibly could to the crash scene, which was on 131st Street, only four blocks from Leckie’s home.
"I was one of the first people on the scene, before the police and fire got there," Leckie said. "I wanted to be of some help, so I first thought I could go to the houses to help the people. But the heat was so intense from the flames that I couldn’t get within 30 feet of them. I realized then that I was so helpless. I knew I didn’t want to become a victim myself, so I stepped away."
Added Leckie, "It was such a helpless feeling, just watching my neighborhood burn, knowing that the people in those homes were not getting out. They were my neighbors."
Leckie said that he was particularly saddened to learn that 48-year-old Kathleen Lawler and her 24-year-old son Christopher were lost in the fire.
"Their two daughters play basketball at Bishop Kearney High School," Leckie said. "It’s a close-knit, upper middle class beach community. Everyone knows each other."
Leckie said that the scene in the minutes after the crash was something he will never forget.
"It was totally devastating," Leckie said. "Imagine leaving for work that morning and then coming home to totally nothing. It was really sad, unbelievable."
Doubly affected
The crash comes on the heels of the events of Sept. 11, where the tiny community of Belle Harbor, only 20,000 strong, lost 75 people in the World Trade Center tragedy – in terms of firemen and police officers who lived in the beach community, as well as several bond traders from the firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
"We were all shocked to find out how many people were from our community," Leckie said. "We had funerals and wakes on a daily basis. A funeral for someone killed on Sept. 11 was supposed to be held [the morning of Monday’s plane crash] at St. Francis de Sales Church nearby. That funeral was canceled. Some funerals are still on hold. We’re all barely over grieving for the victims of Sept. 11 and now we have this. I know I’ve been drained."
Leckie said that he has endured a wide range of emotions since the World Trade Center tragedy.
"I think what’s happened to us all has put things in its proper perspective," Leckie said. "Everything else seems so trivial. When someone does something now, it might have been reason to get angry at one time, but not now. Some things are so irrelevant now. Now, if a player does something wrong, I say, ‘I can live with this.’ I’m able to forget little things more."
Leckie said that because of recent events, he’s not taking anything for granted.
"During basketball season, I used to put my family and friends on hold for six months," Leckie said. "I would tend to forget my family and make basketball the sole priority. It’s not going to happen anymore."
Leckie said that he was almost grateful that the basketball season was starting this week.
"My mind was playing tricks with me all week," Leckie said. "Like what would I do if that had happened to me? If that plane hit just four blocks over? There were so many different scenarios that kept creeping back into my mind. I had to get to practice just to stop myself from thinking. I wonder how much more we can take."
Added Leckie, "We’re a strong community and we have a lot of love, but we can’t take much more."
Leckie said that he was collecting items from St. Peter’s, like sneakers and T-shirts, to give to the two Lawler girls, who lost their mother and brother to the crash. He’s been collecting funds at his bar, to give to the victims.
"There’s only so much we can give," Leckie said. "We keep giving and giving."