A man has died after a fatal helicopter crash in the Hunter Thursday afternoon.
Police, firefighters and emergency services were called to Maitland Vale, around 10 kilometres north of Maitland, around 4.20pm where they found a Bell 'Jet Ranger' helicopter had crashed into a riverbank.
The man, who officers found deceased at the scene, was yet to be formally identified Thursday.
Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District established a crime scene and remain in the area into the evening.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has been notified and will conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner, police said in a statement.