Authorities report that two helicopters collided in midair over New Jersey on Sunday, resulting in one fatality and leaving another individual in critical condition.
According to Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel, emergency personnel were dispatched following a report of an aircraft accident around 11:25 a.m. Footage captured at the scene depicts a helicopter descending in a rapid spin. Law enforcement and firefighting teams later put out a fire that had consumed one of the helicopters.
The incident has been characterized as a midair collision involving an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter that occurred above Hammonton Municipal Airport. Each aircraft was carrying only its pilot.
The crash resulted in one death, while a second person was rushed to a medical facility with injuries deemed life-threatening.
Hammonton, a community of approximately 15,000 residents, is situated in Atlantic County in southern New Jersey, roughly 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia. The municipality maintains an agricultural heritage and lies adjacent to the Pine Barrens, a wooded natural region spanning over 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).
Friel said the FAA and will be investigating the crash.
Alan Diehl, a former FAA and NTSB crash investigator, noted that authorities will probably begin by examining any communication between the pilots and determining if they had visual contact with one another.
Diehl explained that nearly all midair collisions result from a breakdown of the “see and avoid” principle. He added that investigators will certainly examine the cockpit visibility of both aircraft to determine if one pilot was approaching from an area with limited view.
AccuWeather, a weather forecasting service, reported that conditions were predominantly cloudy at the time of the incident, with light winds and favorable visibility.