Helicopter crashes into New York skyscraper, killing one person and causing fire.

The crash occurred shortly before 2:00pm on Monday (local time) amid rain and fog.

Dozens of emergency vehicles swarmed the busy area around Seventh Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets, a few blocks north of Times Square.

The person killed is "presumed" to be the pilot, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference.

No injuries, either to people in the building or on the ground, have been reported, he said.

"Thank God for that," Mr de Blasio said. "This could have been a much worse incident."

The Mayor said the cause of the helicopter's crash was unknown but that there was no indication that it was an "act of terrorism."

The chopper took off from a heliport on Manhattan's east side and crashed on top of the building 11 minutes later, emergency officials said.

Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was at the scene soon after the crash, told reporters that it appeared a helicopter attempted a forced emergency landing on the roof and that no-one inside the building had been injured.

"A helicopter had to do an emergency or a hard landing or crashed onto the rooftop of the building causing a fire, but there's no indication of anything more than that," he said.
Melvin Douglas, 50, who was selling umbrellas on the street, said he heard a "rumble" when the helicopter crashed.

"I didn't see it, but I felt it," Mr Douglas said.

"Smoke was on top of the building."

A fire that broke out on the roof was quickly brought under control, the fire department said.

The building, the AXA Equitable Centre, was evacuated after the crash.