A man has died after he was reportedly struck by a bird while a passenger in a helicopter flying near Gapuwiyak on Monday afternoon, NT Police said.

Police director of communications Mark Wilton said in a statement that police received reports that a helicopter carrying two occupants had made an emergency landing around 2pm at the Lake Evella airstrip after the aircraft struck a bird.

“The impact allegedly caused the bird to fatally strike a 54-year-old male passenger,” Mr Wilton said.

“The pilot was able to land the aircraft safely and was uninjured.”

Mr Wilton said police and St John Ambulance paramedics attended but the man was declared dead at the scene.

Lake Evella airstrip is at Gapuwiyak, a remote Indigenous community in northeast Arnhem Land, about 25km south of the head of Buckingham Bay.

Mr Wilton said a report will be prepared for the coroner and NT WorkSafe and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have been notified of the incident.