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(Image courtesy 6ABC Action News/Facebook/Dan Dameshek)Two pilots were killed after an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C Shark helicopter collided midair Sunday near Hammonton Municipal Airport (N81) in New Jersey.
Authorities on Monday identified the victims as 65-year-old Kenneth Kirsch of Carney's Point, who was flying the F-28A, and 71-year-old Michael Greenberg of Sewell, who was flying the 280C.
The crash occurred around 11:25 a.m. Sunday, about a mile from the airport near the intersection of Route 30 and Basin Road. The wreckage of the 280C was found in a burning farm field, while the F-28A was located in a tree line. Greenberg died at the scene, and Kirsch was airlifted to a local hospital, where he later died.
ADS-B data shows the helicopters departed Vineland-Downstown Airport (28N) in New Jersey earlier that day and flew together northeast towards Hammonton Municipal Airport. The helicopters were seen for just a few seconds southwest of the Hammonton airport before the crash, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
A video shared to social media showed one helicopter spinning rapidly toward the ground. Witnesses told authorities that the two helicopters were flying near each other just before the crash, said Hammonton Police. View this post on Instagram A post shared by GlobalAir.com (@globalaircom)
The Hammonton Fire Department is warning of the circulation of AI-generated images and photos from prior incidents claiming to be from this incident.
FAA records show the 280C was registered to Mandamp;M Charter LLC in Mountville, Pennsylvania. The F-28A was registered to Kirsch.
The two pilots were longtime friends and frequent flying companions, according to 6ABC Action News. Both men were known to meet regularly for breakfast at the airport café before taking to the air.
The café owner told 6ABC Action News that he saw one of the helicopters go down, followed by the other. "It was a little disbelief, like, is that really happening?" said Sal Silipino.
Another witness told reporters the helicopters were flying lower than she presumed a helicopter would be.
"I say to myself, 'My God, I hope they are just flying too close, I hope they don't clip each other," said Diane Cleuff. "And the minute I said it to myself, the impact occurred."
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash.
A preliminary report can be expected in 30 days. A final report could take up to two years.
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