Pilot Dies After Helicopter Crashes Into New York Building

The building is located just outside Times Square.

A pilot is dead after the helicopter he was flying crashed onto the roof of a 54-story building in Midtown Manhattan Monday afternoon.

Tim McCormack was heading for Linden, New Jersey, from New York City through rain and fog when he crashed on top of an office building at 51st Street and 7th Avenue just before 2 p.m., according to officials. The FAA was not overseeing the flight, CBS New York reported.

The building where the crash occurred is just outside of Times Square. 

A witness reported hearing a loud sound and then seeing flames and smoke billowing from the top of the building.

The pilot reportedly lost contact with the LaGuardia control tower shortly before the crash and tried to land on a flat surface but came down too hard. 

More than 100 emergency officials reportedly responded to the scene. Photos showed swaths of people evacuating the building and the surrounding area. Witnesses said on social media that they could feel the building of the crash and nearby buildings shake.

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