The 1960s was a time of great optimism for the future of air travel. The Pan Am Building, now known as the MetLife Building, was a testament to this belief. Designed to function as an extension of Pan American World Airways, it featured high-speed elevators and a rooftop helipad that could transport passengers directly to the airport. This helipad, located on the 57th and 58th floors, was part of the building’s ambitious vision of a “city within a city,” where ground congestion could be avoided altogether.
In 1965, the rooftop helipad began operations, with New York Airways using Boeing Vertol 107 aircraft to transport passengers to John F. Kennedy Airport and Teterboro Airport. During the 1966 transit strike, the helipad saw a surge in demand, handling around 700 passengers a day. However, the service faced numerous challenges, including noise complaints from tenants and neighboring buildings. By 1968, the service was shut down due to low demand and persistent issues.
Nearly a decade later, in 1977, the rooftop helipad reopened, this time with New York Airways operating Sikorsky S-61 helicopters. The relaunch aimed to address previous shortcomings and make the service economically viable. One of the changes implemented was the “hot loading” procedure, where helicopters would keep their engines running and rotor blades spinning while passengers boarded and disembarked. However, this approach proved to be risky.
On May 16, 1977, a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter experienced a structural failure while landing on the rooftop helipad. The helicopter tipped onto its side, and the spinning rotor blades struck the deck, killing four people waiting to board and injuring several others. The impact also caused debris to fall onto the streets, killing a pedestrian and damaging the building. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) later discovered that the cause of the crash was not pilot error but a structural failure due to corrosion and repeated stress. The incident led to the permanent closure of the rooftop helipad and marked the end of high-volume helicopter commuting in New York City.
Today, the rooftop of the MetLife Building is quiet, and the building functions like any other major commercial tower, housing large firms and everyday amenities. The rooftop helipad, once a symbol of the future of urban transportation, is now a quiet space where peregrine falcons have been known to nest. The Pan Am brand, which gave the building its name, also faced a decline after the airline ceased operations in 1991. Although there have been attempts to revive the brand, it has not regained its former stature.
In recent years, there have been talks of a possible return of the Pan Am name, with its current owners reportedly beginning the process to obtain FAA certification. However, the rooftop helipad at the MetLife Building stands as a reminder of a vision that did not survive reality.