A New York man has survived after plunging from the rooftop of a 40 storey skyscraper.

The man crashed onto a parked car after jumping from the high-rise at West 63rd Street.

22-year-old Thomas Magill, who suffered only broken legs, landed in the seat of a Dodge after crashing through the back window.

While it is not known why Magill jumped from the building, he is not the only man to survive a similar fall.

A window washer fell 47 stories from the roof of a skyscraper in December 2007, ending up with only leg injuries.