One person was killed after a helicopter crash-landed on the roof of a skyscraper in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday.
The incident took place atop the 54-storeyed AXA Equitable Center. According to reports, an Agusta A109E copter crash-landed on the fog-cloaked roof after it took off from the 34th Street heliport around 1.32 pm.
New York Police Department (NYPD) identified the victim as Tim McCormack of Clinton Corners in New York. The Agusta A109E chopper was owned by American Continental Properties.
The preliminary investigation states that McCormack was the only person aboard the helicopter when it rammed into the building, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen.
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
The Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, said that no injuries were reported, either to people in the building or on the ground. He also said that the authorities do not have any indication of a connection to terrorism. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be in charge of the probe and will determine the cause of the crash.
According to CNN, based on interviews the NYPD conducted at the 34th Street heliport on Manhattan's east side, the pilot was waiting out the weather but for some reason decided it was okay to go. It was raining for several hours in New York but it is not clear if the crash was weather-related.
US President Donald Trump tweeted that he was alerted about the incident and that he was monitoring the situation. The President's 58-floor skyscraper Trump Tower is also located in the same area in midtown Manhattan.
