Washington: Two helicopters collided in mid-air in New Jersey, USA, on Sunday. The mid-air collision resulted in the death of one pilot and serious injuries to the other. Officials said the incident occurred above Hammonton Municipal Airport, a small airfield in Atlantic County. A video of the accident has also surfaced, showing the helicopters spiraling out of control and then thick black smoke rising from the wreckage.
According to the Associated Press, Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescue crews arrived at the scene around 11 a.m. after receiving reports of the crash. Police and fire crews extinguished the fire in the wreckage. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the mid-air collision involved an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter. Only the pilots were on board both aircraft at the time of the accident. One pilot died, and the other is in serious condition.
Investigation into the accident
Friel said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident. Alan Diehl, a former accident investigator for the FAA and NTSB, said investigators will likely first review any communication between the two pilots and determine if they were able to see each other. Diehl said mid-air collisions are often caused by a failure to see and avoid other aircraft.
Sal Silipino, the owner of a cafe near the crash site, said the pilots were regular customers at his restaurant. He said he and other customers saw the helicopters take off. Seconds later, one helicopter began spinning out of control, and then the other helicopter also crashed to the ground. Witnesses described a terrifying scene.
Dan Demeshek, a resident of Hammonton, told NBC10 that he was leaving the gym when he heard a loud noise and saw two helicopters spinning out of control. The first helicopter flipped upside down and began spiraling to the ground. Then he heard another loud noise from the second helicopter, and it too crashed. Hammonton is a town of about 15,000 people in Atlantic County in southern New Jersey, located 56 kilometers southeast of Philadelphia.
