Manhattan helicopter crash: Deceased pilot identified, terror angle ruled out

The pilot involved in the helicopter crash on the roof a high-rise building in midtown Manhattan has been identified as Tim McCormack, according to police sources.

The pilot's family has been informed, CNN quoted a source as saying. Authorities also ruled out a connection of a terror angle with the crash.

The Agusta A109E helicopter took off from the 34th heliport at around 1:32 pm (local time) and crash-landed on the roof of the 54-storey building at 787 Seventh Avenue after being airborne for 11 minutes, police said.

Both New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed that no one in the building or on the ground sustained injuries.

De Blasio remarked that "there was no indication that the crash was an act of terror" while Cuomo said that people who were in the building said they felt the "building shake."

Fire officials rushed to the spot as soon as they got the news of the crash. The rooftop blaze was doused within half an hour, the New York Fire Department (FDNY) said.

"FDNY members made their way to the roof and we were able to put water on the fire quickly. The fire has been extinguished, and the fuel leak has been mitigated," FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro told reporters.

According to investigations by the police at the 34th Street heliport on Manhattan's east side, the deceased pilot was waiting for the weather to improve but later decided to fly, according to CNN.

The helicopter flew around Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan and up the west side of the island, police said.

The pilot then changed course suddenly as the chopper veered towards midtown Manhattan before it crash-landed onto the rooftop of the building at 787 Seventh Avenue.

Large portions of midtown Manhattan streets were closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, as the police initiated an investigation in the area.

The area covers 15 city blocks and two avenues and also includes New York's iconic Times Square and many Broadway theatres.