Helicopter crashes atop skyscraper in midtown Manhattan, pilot reported dead
Update: 8.05 p.m. ET - The pilot was identified as Tim McCormack, by a manager at Linden Municipal Airport. A senior official told NBC New York the manager confirmed McCormack was piloting the chopper and had dropped off a passenger at the East 34th Steet Heliport. He was on his way to the chopper's base in Linden, New Jersey.
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined. According to the airport manager, Paul Dudley, McCormack was highly trained and an experienced pilot and believed he chose to go to the roof to spare people on the ground. Another senior source told the channel that the passenger who was dropped off is Daniele Bodini, a former UN ambassador of SanMarino.
Meanwhile, President Trump tweeted about the crash, thanking first responders, "(The) Trump Administration stands ready should you need anything at all," he added.
Original story:
An aircraft crashlanded into a building in midtown Manhattan early Monday afternoon. The crash happened atop a 54-story building, 787 Seventh Avenue, located between West 51st and 52nd streets, at the north end of Times Square.
According to CNBC, emergency crews responded to the incident. Smoke was seen from the top of the building as police ordered an evacuation from the area. It is still unclear what kind of aircraft was involved, but initial reports suggest it was a helicopter.
While there has been no word on injuries, police say the situation is under control. The building, known as the Axa Equitable Center, has tenants including BNP Paribas, Citibank and international law firm Willkie Farr and Gallagher.
787 7th ave, #midtown NYC. We’re 1 block south. 20 mins ago there was a loud sound like a too-low #helicopter & I looked up and saw sheet of flame on roof and then smoke. News reports saying helicopter/small plane crash onto roof which would be consistent with what I heard/saw. pic.twitter.com/swY3ksLskH
— Lance Koonce (@LHKoonce) June 10, 2019
According to ABC news, New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo said: "People who were in the building said they felt the building shake." He also added that there may have been casualties involved. A spokeswoman for the New York Police Department told CNBC the number of possible injuries is unknown. Meanwhile, WNBC reported that there was at least one injury.
As reported by the New York Times, only one person was aboard the aircraft, the pilot, who was reported to have been killed, according to a senior city official. Cuomo acknowledged that the initial reports of the accident unsettled New Yorkers. “If you’re a New Yorker, you have a level of PTSD, right, from 9/11,’’ Cuomo said. “I remember that morning all too well.”
Videos posted by onlookers showed emergency vehicles in the street, but no obvious damage to the skyscraper.
With inputs from AP
This is a breaking story, check back for updates