Tragedy struck in Hammonton, New Jersey, as a midair collision between two helicopters resulted in one fatality and left another person critically injured. The incident unfolded just after 11 a.m. on Sunday near the intersection of Basin Road and North White Horse Pike.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the collision involved an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter. Notably, each aircraft carried only its pilot at the time of the accident, which occurred over the Hammonton Municipal Airport.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel provided insight into the circumstances leading to the crash, stating, “Reports indicate they were flying in tandem, very close together, which is likely what caused the collision.”
Sadly, one of the pilots did not survive the crash, while the other was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries. The community is left grappling with the sudden and devastating event.
Eyewitness Diana Cleuff from Shamong, NJ, described the unsettling scene, saying, “They were flying lower than I expected a helicopter would, and alarmingly close together. I thought to myself, ‘I hope they don’t collide.’ Tragically, my fears were confirmed moments later as the impact occurred.”
“They were flying lower than I would presume a helicopter would be, and they were flying really close together, like too close,” recalled Diana Cleuff of Shamong, NJ. “I say to myself, ‘My God I hope they are just flying too close I hope they don’t clip each other and the minute I said it to myself, the impact occurred.”
Sal Silipino, owner of a cafe near the crash site, said the pilots were regulars at the restaurant and would often have breakfast together. He said he and other customers watched the helicopters take off before one began spiraling downward, followed by the other.
“It was shocking,” he said. “I’m still shaking after that happened.”
Witness Brian Sherr said he was outside of a nearby store when he heard a woman nearby “screaming, ‘Oh my God, oh my God.’”
“I did hear a metal clank, but there’s a lot of vehicles around, so I didn’t really pay much attention,” Sherr told ABC News.
He said that as he looked up to the sky, he saw one of the helicopters “slowly descending in a rotating motion, almost as if the rudder and the tail had lost control.”
“I thought that was the only one at first, and then I see a second one come down with the same issue behind it,” Sherr said, adding he saw smoke rise after the second helicopter impacted the ground, prompting him to call 911.
The names of the person killed and the person injured were not immediately released.
Hammonton police urge residents and drivers to avoid Basin Road as the investigation continues.
An NTSB investigator is enroute to the scene. After the wreckage of both helicopters are documented, crews will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation, officials said.
Stay with Action News as we continue to follow this developing story.
ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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