Helicopter pilot dies in crash atop NYC high-rise

The pilot of a helicopter was killed on Monday after his chopper crashed onto the roof of a high-rise in Midtown Manhattan and burst into flames.

The Agusta A109E helicopter crash landed just shortly before 2 pm on the roof of the 54 story at 787 Seventh Avenue, between 51st and 52nd streets just north of Times Square. No one inside the building or nearby was injured. The pilot was the only person on the helicopter.

The building doesn't have a helipad, and the crash took place on a rainy and foggy day, with low visibility.

Emergency services arrived at the scene in four minutes, and firefighters quickly put the fire out and dealt with fuel leakage, authorities said.

The helicopter's home base is an airport in Linden, New Jersey, where Paul Dudley, the airport manager, identified the pilot as Tim McCormack, according to The New York Times. He said McCormack worked for the helicopter's owner, Daniele Bodini, who he said commuted to the city from upstate New York, according to the newspaper.

Office workers inside the building said that they felt the entire building shake like an earthquake when the helicopter crashed. They were immediately evacuated by using the building's stairwells.

Nathan Hutton, who works in information technology for BNP Paribas, was inside the AXA Equitable Center building, which is AXA Financial's US headquarters, and has several financial tenants and law firms.

"It took half an hour to get down from the 29th floor, there was just so many people … you could feel the building shake, and you could actually hear the alarm go off. Security came in and told us, 'Everyone get out of the building now,''' he told CNN.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the cause of the crash was not yet known, but it was not terror related. "This could have been a much worse incident," he said.

New York City Governor Andrew Cuomo rushed to the scene a few minutes after the crash. He said that news of the crash reminded New Yorkers of the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.

"If you're a New Yorker, you have a level of PTSD from 9/11. And I remember that morning all too well. So as soon as you hear an aircraft hit a building, my mind goes where every New Yorker's mind goes," Cuomo said.

The crash occurred a mile north of where the private aircraft had taken off from a helipad at West 34th Street on the Hudson River. An investigation will take place as to why it was allowed to fly in such bad weather.

New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the helicopter belongs to a company called Executive Travel. It crashed in a no-fly zone, as it was near Trump Tower, owned by President Donald Trump.

Shortly after the crash, Trump tweeted: "I have been briefed on the helicopter crash in New York City. Phenomenal job by our GREAT First Responders who are currently on the scene. THANK YOU for all you do 24/7/365! The Trump Administration stands ready should you need anything at all."

The National Transportation Safety Board will seek to determine the cause of the crash.

The last helicopter crash in the city was on May 15. It crashed into the Hudson River. The only person onboard was the pilot, who survived.

The last helicopter crash with fatalities was on May 12, 2018. It crashed into the East River, killing five people.