Helicopter crashes on roof of NYC skyscraper; pilot killed

NEW YORK — A helicopter crash-landed on the roof of a rain-shrouded midtown Manhattan skyscraper Monday, killing the pilot and briefly triggering memories of 9/11, even though it appeared to be an accident unrelated to terrorism.

The crash near Times Square and Trump Tower shook the 750-foot-tall AXA Equitable building and forced office workers to flee on elevators and down stairs.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who spoke to reporters at the scene, said the impact caused a fire, but it was under control.

The pilot was believed to be the only one aboard, and there were no other reports of injuries, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, or why the Agusta A109E was flying in tightly controlled airspace in midtown Manhattan.

A flight restriction in effect since President Donald Trump took office bans aircraft from flying below 3,000 feet within a 1-mile radius of Trump Tower, which is located less than a half-mile from the crash site.

The crash happened around 2 p.m., when clouds obscured the roof of the building. The response by rescue trucks swarming the building immediately evoked memories of the Sept. 11 attacks.

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

Videos posted by onlookers showed emergency vehicles in the street, but no obvious damage to the skyscraper.