iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A pilot died when a helicopter crashed onto the roof of a Midtown Manhattan building in a hard landing on Monday, filling the air with smoke and clogging the city streets with fire trucks, according to police and fire officials.
No one else was injured, according to city officials.
The crash sparked a fire which has since been extinguished, though officials said fuel is leaking from the helicopter.
The crash is believed to be an accident and there’s no indication of terrorism, a senior official with the Federal Aviation Administration told ABC News.
“People who were in the building said they felt the building shake,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters.
Shauna Farrell said she was in a meeting on the 36th floor of the building “when a window fell through and we heard a loud whizzing sound of a motor.”
Then she said she felt the crash, prompting herself and others on the floor to get out of the building.
“We ran down. I think we were the first floor to evacuate, actually, because we felt it so quickly,” Farrell told ABC News.
“There was already FDNY on the scene. We were kind of just running away from the building as quickly as we could,” she said.
The crash comes on a rainy New York afternoon; both Newark and LaGuardia Airports are in a ground stop due to visibility and thunderstorms, according to the FAA.
The building is located on 7th Avenue between 51st and 52nd Streets, according to the New York City Fire Department.
Though the crash appeared to be accidental, the governor said, “If you’re a New Yorker, you have a level of PTSD from 9/11 … So as soon as you hear an aircraft hit a building, I think my mind goes where every New Yorker’s mind goes.”
The president has been briefed on the crash in Manhattan and is monitoring the situation, according to a White House official.
“Phenomenal job by our GREAT First Responders who are currently on the scene,” President Donald Trump tweeted. “THANK YOU for all you do 24/7/365! The Trump Administration stands ready should you need anything at all.”
This is a breaking news story, please check back for updates.
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