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Ask the Times

By TIMES WIRES
Published October 16, 2006

What is the formula to calculate how many years it will take to pay off credit card debt if you only make the minimum payment?

We found an exact formula from Ask Dr. Math, a question and answer service for math students and their teachers. Visit http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/54618.html if you'd like to use a little algebra. For those less mathematically inclined, try a credit card calculator at sites such as www.bankrate.com or www.debtreliefusa.org.

What are some incidents of planes crashing into buildings?

Not counting planes that have struck buildings upon crashing on the ground, the following struck high-rise buildings:

July 28, 1945: An Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 70th floor of the Empire State Building in New York City, killing 14.

Sept. 11, 2001: Two hijacked jetliners slam into the twin 110-story towers of New York's World Trade Center. The towers collapse; almost 3,000 people are killed.

Jan. 5, 2002: A Cessna stolen from a flight school crashes into the 28th floor of the Bank of America Plaza in downtown Tampa, killing the pilot, 15-year-old Charles Bishop.

April 18, 2002: A small plane slams into the landmark, 30-story Pirelli tower in Milan, Italy, killing pilot Luigi Fasulo and two workers inside the building.

Oct. 11, 2006: A small plane crashes into a 50-story condominium tower on Manhattan's Upper East Side, killing Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor.

Only the Sept. 11, 2001, incident was the result of terrorists.

To submit a question, e-mail answers@tampabay.com visit tampabay.com or call 727 893-8179, toll-free 1-800-333-7507, ext. 8179.

[Last modified October 16, 2006, 02:06:02]