NEXT TO HIM -- >> THIS IS AN NBC NEWS SPECIAL
REPORT.
REPORT. HERE’S LESTER HOLT.
>> GOOD DAY.
NEW YORK CITY OFFICIALS AND
MAYOR de BLASIO ABOUT TO BRIEF
THE PRESS ON THE HELICOPTER
ACCIDENT THAT PUT A CHOPPER
COMING DOWN ON A MIDTOWN HIGH
RISE.
RISE. LET’S LISTEN.
LET’S LISTEN. >> I WANT TO SAY THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING FIRST.
THERE IS NO INDICATION AT THIS
TIME THAT THIS WAS AN ACT OF
TERROR.
TERROR. AND THERE IS NO ONGOING THREAT
TO NEW YORK CITY BASED ON ALL
THE INFORMATION WE HAVE RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. I HAVE CHECKED IN WITH THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT,
AND BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT.
THERE IS NO DANGER OF ANY KIND
TO NEW YORKERS AT THIS POINT.
AND WHAT I’M GOING TO TELL YOU
AND WHAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE GOING
TO TELL YOU IS ALL PRELIMINARY
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. I’M GOING TO EMPHASIZE TO
EVERYONE, A FULL INVESTIGATION
IS GOING ON, BUT WE HAVE ONLY
PRELIMINARY INFORMATION AT THIS
POINT IN TIME.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS ONE PERSON
DIED IN THIS HELICOPTER CRASH.
THAT PERSON IS PRESUMED TO BE
THE PILOT, BUT WE’RE STILL
WAITING FOR ABSOLUTE
CONFIRMATION OF THAT FACT.
THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE
BEEN ANY PASSENGER IN THE
HELICOPTER, BUT AGAIN, WE’RE
WAITING FOR ABSOLUTE
CONFIRMATION OF THAT FACT.
WE DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THIS
INCIDENT.
INCIDENT. I’M SURE YOU’RE GOING TO ALL
WANT TO ASK THAT.
WE DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE NO
INDICATIONS THAT THERE WAS ANY
TERROR NEXUS HERE.
THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES
THAT WE KNOW OF AT THIS POINT IN
TIME TO ANYONE IN THE BUILDING
OR ON THE GROUND.
AND I WANT TO JUST SAY, THANK
GOD FOR THAT.
THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH
WORSE INCIDENT.
WORSE INCIDENT. AND THANK GOD NO OTHER PEOPLE
WERE INJURED IN THIS ABSOLUTELY
SHOCKING, STUNNING INCIDENT.
I WANT TO LASTLY SAY THAT THE
FIRST RESPONDERS PERFORMED AN
EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT HERE.
I WANT TO THANK THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT,
EVERYONE, ALL THE BUILDINGS
DEPARTMENT, ALL THE AGENCIES
THAT RESPONDED HERE.
OEM, EVERYBODY.
OEM, EVERYBODY. THIS WAS A VERY CHALLENGING
SITUATION.
SITUATION. YOU’RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE
COMMISSIONER, A FIRE ON THE ROOF
THAT HAD TO BE DEALT WITH
IMMEDIATELY.
IMMEDIATELY. FDNY DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB
INSURING EVERYONE WAS SAFE.
WITH THAT, I WANT TO TURN IT TO
OUR FIRE COMMISSIONER.
>> 1:43 THIS AFTERNOON, WE
RECEIVED A CALL THROUGH 911 THAT
THIS HELICOPTER HAD CRASHED ON
THE ROOF OF THIS BUILDING.
OUR LOCAL UNITS RESPONDED IN A
IT LITTLE OVER FOUR MINUTES,
MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT,
MEMBERS OF THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, MADE THEIR WAY TO
THE ROOF.
THE ROOF. WE WERE ABLE TO PUT WATER ON THE
FIRE QUITE QUICKLY.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID FIND THE
VICTIM WITH THE HELICOPTER.
WHO HAS THE MAYOR STATED, WE
PRESUME IS THE PILOT.
THAT IS THE ONLY VICTIM OF THIS
CRASH.
CRASH. THE FIRE HAS BEEN EXTINGUISHED.
THERE WAS SOME AMOUNT OF FUEL
LEAK, WHICH WE HAVE MITIGATED,
AND RIGHT NOW, THE BUILDING IS
SAFE.
SAFE. WE HAVEN’T REOCCUPIED IT.
THE BUILDING MANAGEMENT HAS
BEGUN A COMPLETE EVACUATION OF
THE BUILDING.
THE BUILDING. THAT WAS ONGOING AS WE ARRIVED.
AND MEMBERS OF THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT, WILL REMAIN ON SCENE
AND AWAIT THE ARRIVAL OF NTSB
AND OTHER AGENCIES.
>> POLICE COMMISSIONER JIMMY
O’NEAL.
O’NEAL. >> THANKS, MR. MAYOR.
AT 1:43 THIS AFTERNOON, THE
FIRST 911 CALL CAME IN REPORTING
A CRASH.
A CRASH. WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE
STREET, THAT’S A 54-STORY OFFICE
BUILDING.
BUILDING. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL RESPONDED,
AS DAN SAID, VERY QUICKLY, AND
FDNY PERSONNEL PUT OUT THE FIRE.
AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE ONE
CONFIRMED FATALITY, AND THE
INDIVIDUAL IS BELIEVED TO BE THE
PILOT OF A PRIVATELY OWNED
HELICOPTER.
HELICOPTER. WHAT WE KNOW IS APPROXIMATELY
1:32 THIS AFTERNOON, THE
HELICOPTER TOOK OFF FROM THE
34th STREET HELIPORT, AND 11
MINUTES LATER, CRASHED ON THE
ROOF ACROSS FROM WHERE WE ARE
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW, OUR DETECTIVE BUREAU,
OUR INTELLIGENCE BUREAU, THE
FBI, ARE WORKING WITH THE FAA
AND NTSB TO GATHER ADDITIONAL
INFO ON THE PILOT.
WE BELIEVE WE HAVE TENTATIVELY
IDENTIFIED THE AIR PATH, THE
FLIGHT PATH, AND ITS OWNER.
DON’T ASK TOO MUCH MORE.
IT’S PRELIMINARY, AND AT THIS
POINT, WE’LL TAKE A FEW
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> HOLD ON, JOSH.
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
>> YEAH, TENTATIVELY, WE HAVE IT
AS EXECUTIVE TRAVEL.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHERE IT WAS
HEADED.
HEADED. >> NO, WE DON’T.
WE THINK IT WAS GOING BACK TO
ITS HOME AIRPORT, BUT WE’RE NOT
SURE.
SURE. >> COMMISSIONER, WHY WAS THAT
HELICOPTER IN THE AIR IN WEATHER
LIKE THIS?
LIKE THIS? >> NOT SURE, THAT’S PART OF THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. IT DOESN’T APPEAR THE BE THE
OWNER.
OWNER. WE HAVE HIM PRELIMINARILY
IDENTIFIED BUT IT’S NOT
CONFIRMED YET AND WE’RE LOOKING
OUT FOR HIS FAMILY TOO.
THAT’S PART OF THE INVESTIGATION
TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY CONTACT
MADE WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.
HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
>> ASIDE FROM THE WEATHER, WAS
THERE OTHER REASONS WHY THEY
SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN FLYING IN
THIS AREA?
THIS AREA? WE’RE SO CLOSE TO TRUMP TOWER.
I KNOW AIR SPACE --
>> THERE’S A TEMPORARY FLIGHT
RESTRICTION, AND WE’RE CHECKING
INTO THAT NOW.
AND TO BE CLEAR, JUST TO FINISH
THIS, TO GO INTO THAT AREA, A
HELICOPTER WOULD NEED TO
APPROVAL OF LaGUARDIA TOWER.
WE NEED TO FIND OUT IF THAT
HAPPENED OR NOT.
WE DO NOT KNOW AT THIS POINT.
>> DID ANY DEBRIS FALL FROM THE
ROOF?
ROOF? >> DAN?
>> DAN? >> SO FAR, WE HAD SOME FALL ONTO
THE BUILDING BUT NOT TO THE
STREET.
STREET. >> HOLD ON, ONE AT A TIME.
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
>> I JUST WANT TO START, THE
FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO DEAL WITH
THE FIRE.
THE FIRE. IT WAS ABOVE THE 50th STORY,
WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARILY
DIFFICULT IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE
AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS
WEATHER.
WEATHER. SO FDNY DID AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB
TODAY.
TODAY. >> I THINK QUICKLY GETTING UP
THERE, USING THE BUILDING
ELEVATORS, PUMPING WATER OVER
700 FEET REQUIRES A SPECIAL
HOSE, SPECIAL PUMPERS, WHICH WE
HAVE AVAILABLE.
HAVE AVAILABLE. THEY WERE PUT TO GOOD USE TODAY.
AND THE MEMBERS GOT THOSE LINES