Helicopter crashes into NYC building in heavy rain, fog
A large portion of Midtown Manhattan was evacuated Monday afternoon after a helicopter made a "hard landing" onto the roof of a 54-story skyscraper shortly after 2 p.m.
Many of the impacted cross streets were reopened to traffic by Monday evening, though streets nearest the crash site remained closed. The NYPD had previoulsy closed many blocks in Midtown, including Times Square and other city landmarks.
Speaking to media, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo called the incident an "emergency landing" and said there was no initial evidence of terrorist activity.
Officials have reported the pilot, identified as Tim McCormack, was killed in the crash. A spokesperson for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the pilot appeared to be the only person on board. At a press conference, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said there were no other injuries reported among people in the building or on the ground.
The mayor also told CNN the building involved did not have a landing pad, and that the helicopter should not have been operating in that part of Manhattan without the approval of the LaGuardia Airport [traffic control] tower.
Weather conditions at the time of the crash were poor, with heavy rain reported in Central Park and visibility of less than half a mile (0.8 km). Winds have been relatively light through early Monday afternoon. Hundreds of flight delays and cancellations were reported across the U.S. Northeast on Monday, in part due to adverse weather conditions.
According to CNN, NYPD interviews with heliport staff revealed the pilot had initially been waiting out bad weather, but "for whatever reason decided it was OK to go."
The FDNY reported the fire was extinguished shortly before 2:30 p.m., local time, but crews remained on scene in response to fuel leaking from the helicopter.
The FAA issued a preliminary statement via Twitter indicating they were gathering information about the incident, and that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
