The crash occurred around 1:45 p.m. (1745 GMT) at 787 7th Avenue in Manhattan, an office building over 50 stories tall at the heart of the city. A fire was caused by the crash and was quickly brought under control, said the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
Emergency responders have swarmed the site and several streets in the vicinity have been blocked.
People working in the building told media that they felt the building shake when the helicopter crashed, and the building was later evacuated.
US President Donald Trump said in a tweet an hour after the crash that he has been briefed on the incident and thanked the first responders for their “phenomenal job.”
Meanwhile, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s secretary Melissa DeRosa said on Twitter that President Trump called the governor to ask about the crash and “to offer any assistance needed.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference at around 4 p.m. (2000 GMT) that the crash showed no indication of terrorism or any ongoing threat to New Yorkers at the moment, and no other passenger was in the helicopter, but he stressed that the conclusions were based on “preliminary information.”
It is yet unclear if the crashed helicopter had permission to be flying midtown or whether the foggy and rainy weather has contributed to the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the crashed helicopter is an Agusta A109E, and the National Transportation Safety Board will be in charge of the investigation.
