USATODAY.com - Small plane slams into Milan skyscraper Smoke billows from the Pirelli building. MILAN, Italy (AP) A small plane with only the pilot on board on Thursday crashed into a landmark skyscraper in downtown Milan. Smoke poured out of the 30-story building and there was no immediate word of any victims. The building houses the regional government offices, authorities said. Police officer Celerissimo De Simone said the pilot of the Piper aircraft sent out a distress call at 5:50 p.m. just before the crash near Milan's main train station. RAI state TV reported that the pilot said the SOS was because of engine trouble. The weather was clear at the time. Police cordoned off the area as people gawked at the skyscraper. At least one ambulance was dispatched. Initially, Marcello Pera, president of Italy's senate, said it "very probably" appeared to be a terrorist attack. Later, his spokesman said Pera had spoken with the Interior Minister and the crash didn't appear to be any kind of an attack. The crash put a hole in the 25th floor of the Pirelli building, and smoke was seen pouring from the opening. Police and ambulances rushed to the building. The Pirelli skyscraper, located near the central train station, is Italy's first skyscraper and one of the world's tallest concrete buildings. It was built in 1958 and designed by architects Gio Ponti and Pier Luigi Nervi. The building is one of the main symbols of Milan, along with the city's cathedral. "The president just moments ago was informed about the incident in Milan. I have no additional information at all for you at this time. This is a breaking story and we don't have anything else beyond that." It was the second time since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington that a plane has struck a high-rise building. On Jan. 5, a 15-year-old boy crashed a stolen plane into a building in Tampa, Fla. He was the only casualty. Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Gannett Co. Inc.