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2 helicopters crash in NJ; one dead, one critically injured
One person is dead and another is fighting for his life after two helicopters collided mid-air and crashed moments after taking off from Hammonton Municipal Airport late Sunday morning, authorities said.
HAMMONTON, N.J. - Two pilots are now dead as of Monday morning after two helicopters collided midair and crashed moments after taking off from Hammonton Municipal Airport late Sunday, according to police.
What we know:
The crash happened around 11:25 a.m. near the 100 block of Basin Road, close to White Horse Pike and Route 206, just about a mile from the airport runway where both helicopters had departed minutes earlier.
Dramatic video captured the moment one of the helicopters began spinning out of control seconds after the mid-air collision before slamming into the ground. Police say one of the aircraft burst into flames upon impact.
"As the crash ensued, one of the helicopters actually burst into flames," Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel told FOX 29. "Luckily, there were not any industrial or commercial buildings or populated areas" nearby.
What we don't know:
According to Hammonton police, the two pilots — the only people on board the helicopters — have not yet been publicly identified. One pilot was pronounced dead at the scene. The second was critically injured and airlifted to a regional trauma center. He was later confirmed dead by police, according to the Associated Press.
Witnesses described terrifying moments
Local perspective:
Several witnesses described watching the helicopters go down in disbelief.
"It was shocking. Still shaking — still shaking a little bit that happened," Sal Silipino, owner of the Apron Café, which overlooks the Hammonton Municipal Airport runway told FOX 29.
Silipino said he watched both aircrafts fall from the sky.
"We looked up, and I saw the one spiraling down. I didn’t see him hit," he said. "Then I saw the other one go down. It was disbelief — like, is that really happening?"
Silipino also shared a chilling detail: the two pilots had breakfast together at his restaurant just before taking off.
"They were just at our café having breakfast. They’re regulars — they come in every week or every other week," Silipino said. "They fly in together. They seemed to be very nice people — very kind to all the workers and staff."
Pilots were friends, often flew together
According to police and flight records, both pilots were experienced and routinely flew in the area. Chief Friel said preliminary reports indicate the helicopters may have been flying close together when the collision occurred.
"Reports were that they were flying in tandem — that they were flying close together, which is probably what caused the collision to occur," Friel said, adding that his department is not investigating the aviation aspects of the crash.
Friel also noted that the pilots were friends and had flown together before.
"It’s not a very normal thing," he said. "It has been noted that the pilots had done that in the past. They apparently are friends, fly into the airport, have a meal together at the café and were leaving together. Friends."
Federal investigation underway
What's next:
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it is investigating Sunday’s in-flight collision involving an Enstrom 280C helicopter and an Enstrom F-28A helicopter in Hammonton, New Jersey.
The NTSB announced the investigation in a post on social media and will work to determine what led to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is also involved in the investigation.
Officials say it could take weeks or months before a final determination is made. The investigation remains ongoing.
What you can do:
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has video is encouraged to contact authorities.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Hammonton Police Department and FOX 29's Jeff Skversky.