The 5ft (1.52m) piece of metal, which bears a Boeing label and serial¹ number, was wedged（锲入） between two New York City buildings, police said.

 

It was found on Wednesday by surveyors inspecting a lower Manhattan building.

 

Nearly 3,000 people died in the terror attacks as planes were brought down in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

 

Five suspected al-Qaeda militants² are awaiting trial for the attacks at a military tribunal at the US detention³ facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

 

"It's a manifestation⁴ of a horrific terrorist act a block and a half away from where we stand," New York Police Commissioner⁵ Ray Kelly told reporters outside the secured site. "It brings back terrible memories to anyone who was here, who was involved in that event."

 

The piece was found in a narrow, rubbish-filled space 18in (0.45m) wide. 

 

 

Mr Kelly told reporters after inspecting it that a length of rope was looped around the piece of steel and that no marks were visible on the walls overhead. 

 

What appears to be the remains⁶ of a broken pulley can be seen with the wreckage⁷ and the New York Times reports that Mr Kelly did not completely exclude the idea that the aircraft debris⁸ may have been lowered into the gap. 

 

The New York Police Department has secured the area behind 51 Park Place and 50 Murray Street as a crime scene.

 

The location is at the site where a mosque⁹ and community centre has been proposed, three streets away from "Ground Zero" - the site of the twin towers.

 

Police have taken photographs and are keeping it off-limits until a health assessment¹⁰ has been made by the medical examiner's office.

 

Mr Kelly said investigators¹¹ will scour¹² the space for possible human remains.

 

He said the landing gear was found at about 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday by surveyors hired by the owner of 51 Park Place.

 

At 08:46 on 11 September 2001, American Airlines flight 11 hit the World Trade Center's north tower. Seventeen minutes later, United flight 175 hit the south tower.

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