Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan Site of the Pan Am Helipad
Site of the Pan Am Helipad is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Site of the Pan Am Helipad

This Manhattan skyscraper is a reminder of the brief but glorious age of urban air taxis.

New York, New York

Added By
Elliot Carter
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
A helicopter landing on the roof of the Pan Am building (now Met Life building), 1966.   F. Roy Kemp/ Stringer/Getty Images
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
The Pan Am Building is now known as the MetLife building.   Map Data © Google 2017
Pan Am Building (now the MetLife Building) circa 1980’s, with part of Grand Central Terminal in the foreground.   Stikshift/Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

High atop the 59-story MetLife Building in Midtown Manhattan, a disused landing pad recalls the period when New Yorkers commuted by helicopter. From 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., flocks of roaring choppers once alighted here, to the delight of their passengers and the equal fury of disturbed office workers. The controversial helicopter service ultimately met its end in bloodshed and tragedy.

The downtown helipad operated in two phases, from 1963 to 1965, and later in 1977, when the tower was known the world over as the Pan Am Building.

Pan American World Airways conceived of the helipad as a convenient connection between Grand Central Terminal (located right next door), and regional LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy, and Newark airports. Massive twin-rotor Boeing Vertol helicopters seated 20 and offered an unmatched airport shuttle service.

Travelers could take the elevator to the top floor, grab a drink at the penthouse restaurant, and then whisk off to the airport in a flight that took fewer than 10 minutes. The helicopter rides were surprisingly affordable and were often complimentary when connecting with Pan Am departures. The rides were also a popular sightseeing activity. 

Still, all was not well with the flying taxi service. The constant helicopter traffic predictably ignited a fierce Not-In-My-Backyard reaction from locals who had to endure the thunderous racket. Scores of Op-Eds and an impassioned protest movement put an end to the Pan Am helipad after just two years.

But it wasn't a permanent end. A decade later, Pan Am gave the helipad a second shot using slightly quieter Sikorsky S-61 military helicopters. Once again, helicopters clattered off the Pan Am heliport to the consternation of midtown NIMBYs. The disturbance proved to be brief however, as tragedy struck just three months after its revival.

At 5:35 p.m. on May 16th an inbound chopper from JFK Airport touched down on the Pan Am rooftop. As usual, the ramp went down and passengers began to exit the helicopter. The twin rotors were left spinning as another group waited for their turn to board for a return flight. Suddenly, the six-ton aircraft lurched to its side as the starboard landing gear crumpled and gave way. The spinning rotor blades smashed into the tarmac and exploded, sending a hailstorm of shrapnel flying into the crowd of ticket holders.

Five people were killed and eight wounded in the most violent manner imaginable. Newspaper coverage of the incident was lurid and borderline voyeuristic when recounting the scene and describing the body parts scattered about. 

The May 16th disaster put the helicopter contracting company out of business and spelled the end for the Pan Am helipad. It also put a damper on the idea of urban rooftop landings, which today are only permitted at hospitals in extreme life or death cases.

Related Tags

Cities Helicopters Travel Aircraft Death

Know Before You Go

The helipad was closed and can no longer be accessed but the Met Life building still stands and can be visited.

Community Contributors

Added By

Elliot Carter

Edited By

PrestonW, Kerry Wolfe, mailwerks, wherearewedude

  • PrestonW
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • mailwerks
  • wherearewedude

Published

August 17, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nbz5VFilxY
  • Police capture hijacker after helicopter flight. New York Times, May 24, 1974
  • Freak helicopter accident kills 5, wounds 8. New York Times, May 17, 1974
Site of the Pan Am Helipad
200 Park Avenue
New York, New York
United States
40.753299, -73.97651
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Grand Central Ceiling Dark Patch

New York, New York

miles away

Graybar Rats

New York, New York

miles away

Grand Central Terminal Whispering Gallery

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 405
Stories 89

Nearby Places

Grand Central Ceiling Dark Patch

New York, New York

miles away

Graybar Rats

New York, New York

miles away

Grand Central Terminal Whispering Gallery

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 405
Stories 89

Related Places

  • Square de l’Île-de-France

    Paris, France

    Site of La Morgue de Paris

    The location of this small park was once the site of an infamous public morgue.

  • McCulloch J-2 Gyroplane.

    West Chester, Pennsylvania

    American Helicopter Museum and Education Center

    A converted hangar displays dozens of helicopters, from a famous 1943 rescue chopper to several autogyros.

  • The marker.

    Eureka, North Carolina

    Goldsboro Nuclear Mishap

    A sign marks the plane crash that caused two nuclear bombs to fall in North Carolina.

  • Mi Teleférico.

    La Paz, Bolivia

    Mi Teleférico

    The soaring gondola lines form the longest aerial cable car system in the world.

  • Lift off

    Washington, D.C.

    White House Helipad

    Disks are rolled out onto the south lawn to absorb the impact of Marine One's wheels like giant coffee coasters.

  • The entrance to the sculpture garden

    Cerritos, California

    Cerritos Sculpture Garden

    A small, peaceful sculpture garden with a grim memorial to a disaster that took place a few blocks away.

  • The Helicopter Museum

    Weston-super-Mare, England

    The Helicopter Museum

    The world's largest museum devoted solely to the whirlybird comes complete with its own chopper graveyard.

  • A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe

    An immersive exhibition that meditates on death and life.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.