helicopter that crashed on a manhattan skyscraper rooftop

O'Neill said he was 'not sure' yet why the helicopter was flying in wet and foggy weather.

Officials believe - but have not confirmed - the helicopter may have been attempting to return to its home base in Linden, New Jersey, which is why it may have been crossing Manhattan. That heliport is located on Manhattan's East Side. 'What we know is that at approximately 1:32 this afternoon, the helicopter took off from the 34th Street heliport and about 11 minutes later crashed on the roof,' Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. Images from the scene of today's helicopter crash at 787 7th Ave. WEB EXTRA: Mayor de Blasio, Officials Discuss Midtown Helicopter Crash: 'We had a very strange, very troubling incident this afternoon here in Manhattan,' Mayor de Blasio said.ĭe Blasio emphasized that 'there is no indication at this time that this was an act of terror and there is no ongoing threat to New York City based on all the information that we have right now.' Not heavy smoke, but the smell of what I describe - burnt construction material started to come downstairs,' another man said.

We just heard the ground shake, like it was an earthquake and then we went back to business. 'There was a shake and then a noise and then we just evacuated,' one man said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said officials were investigating whether or not the chopper had received approval from flight controllers to go into the restricted zone. That model helicopter, which is used for executive travel, was flying in a restricted flight area when it crashed.

Helicopter that crashed on a manhattan skyscraper rooftop