A helicopter crash-landed on the roof of a Manhattan high-rise, killing the pilot and starting a fire, New York officials said.
The crash occurred on a rainy, foggy Monday afternoon.
A plume of smoke could be seen rising toward the sky from atop the AXA Equitable Center in Midtown. Fire officials said the flames were quickly brought under control.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters that there was no ongoing threat and no evident ties to terrorism.
Officials have not revealed what caused the crash, or why the Agusta A109E helicopter was flying during heavy rains and a low cloud cover.
"There's something mysterious here," de Blasio told CNN, saying officials were scrutinizing video of a "very erratic" flight and authorities needed to find out more about the pilot at the time he decided to take off.
The pilot, identified by his employer as Tim McCormack, was a former fire chief in upstate Clinton, New York.
He had more than 15 years of experience flying helicopters and single-engine planes. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, he earned his flight instructor certification last year.
The crash, close to both Rockefeller Center and Times Square, immediately evoked memories of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the same area of the city.
"If you're a New Yorker, you have a level of PTSD 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,'' Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the National Transportation Safety Board would oversee an investigation.
President Donald Trump tweeted from Washington that he had been briefed on the crash.
