Thor Alex Kappfjell was a Norwegian offshore oil worker and
BASE jumper
BASE jumping () is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antenna (radio), antenna ...
. He is famous for parachuting from the observation deck of the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may also refer to:
Buildings
* World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...
's South tower in 1999. Previously, he had jumped from the 86th floor of the observation deck of the
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story, Art Deco-style supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its n ...
and the 61st floor of the
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is a , Art Deco skyscraper in the East Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. Located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, it is the tallest brick building in the world wit ...
(on October 24 and 27, 1998 respectively). Kappfjell claimed to have jumped more than 200 mountains and buildings (radio/television masts, bridges, the Eiffel Tower, etc.) in his daredevil career.
World Trade Center jump
On March 25, 1999, Kappfjell ignored threats from Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General fr ...
and Police Commissioner
Howard Safir and was able to get past the heightened post-bombing-of-1993 security and make his way up the South tower. Kappfjell later on claimed that he used a disguise, but wouldn't go into more detail about how he gave security the slip.
Kappfjell landed on West Street in a small construction area between the north and southbound lanes. Without pausing (except to snap some photos), he packed his parachute away and disappeared into the
World Financial Center World Financial Center may refer to:
China
* Chongqing World Financial Center
* Shanghai World Financial Center
* Tianjin World Financial Center
United States
* Brookfield Place (New York City), formerly the World Financial Center complex
** 200 L ...
. On March 26, along with his cousin and photographer, he was arrested in his midtown hotel room. He was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing while his accomplices were charged with obstructing government administration.
Lawsuit
Kappfjell later filed a $2.25 million lawsuit against "
Extra
Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
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* Extra (newspaper), ...
", the syndicated television show, seeking damages for breach of contract and fraud. Kappfjell told The
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
that he was planning to leave the city immediately after the jump, but Barry Levine ("Extra"'s managing editor), had told him to wait until the next morning to be paid for footage of the WTC jump. (He had sold videos of previous jumps to the show.) But, to Kappfjell's surprise, the "Extra" film crew showed up, along with the police the next morning, and Levine was nowhere to be seen.
Death
On July 5, 1999, Kappfjell was killed in a jump off
Kjerag
Kjerag or Kiragg is a mountain in the Sandnes municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The tall mountain sits on the southern shore of Lysefjorden, just southwest of the village of Lysebotn. Its northern side is a massive cliff, plunging al ...
mountain in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. Having lost his bearings in the night fog, he crashed into the side of the mountain. His body was found at the base of the cliff, parachute open. Fellow jumpers suspected that he hit the face of the cliff and slid down. He was 32 years old.
See also
*
BASE jumping
BASE jumping () is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antenna (radio), antenna ...
References
*“Daring New York Jumper Killed in Norway.” The New York Times. 7 July 1999.
*Gregorian, Dareh. “Sky Diver Gets Jump on Law; ‘Human Fly’ Defies Rudy in Leap off Twin Towers.” The New York Post. 26 March 1999
*Gregorian, Dareh. “Leaper Files Chute, Uh, Suit vs. ‘Extra’.” The New York Post. 8 April 1999.
*“Parachutist is Arrested After Trade Center Leap.” The New York Times. 27 March 1999.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kappfjell, Thor Alex
1967 births
1999 deaths
Norwegian skydivers
BASE jumping deaths
Sport deaths in Norway