Both pilots killed after midair helicopter collision in New Jersey

HAMMONTON, N.J. -- Two pilots were killed aft their helicopters collided successful midair implicit Hammonton, New Jersey connected Sunday.

Michael Greenberg, 71, of Sewell, N.J. was pronounced dormant astatine the scene.

Kenneth L. Kirsch, 65, of Carneys Point, N.J. was pronounced dormant astatine the hospital.

The clang happened astir 11:25 a.m. adjacent the intersection of Route 30 and Basin Road, astir a mile from the Hammonton Municipal Airport.

Both helicopters went down successful a adjacent field, with 1 bursting into flames, constabulary said.

Chief Kevin Friel of the Hammonton Police Department said aboriginal reports bespeak the craft were flying adjacent unneurotic soon aft departure.

"Reports were that they were flying successful tandem, that they were flying adjacent together, which is astir apt what caused the collision to occur," Friel said.

The helicopters - an Enstrom F-28A piloted by Kirsch, and an Enstrom 280C piloted by Greenberg - had conscionable lifted disconnected aft the pilots stopped for meal astatine the airdrome café, wherever they were regular customers, according to the café's owner.

"They were conscionable astatine our café having breakfast, they're regulars, they travel in, they look to beryllium precise bully people," said Sal Silipino, proprietor of the Apron Cafe. "I saw 1 spell down, and past I saw the different 1 spell down and it was a small disbelief, like, 'Is that truly happening?'"

Witnesses crossed the country described seeing the helicopters flying unusually adjacent earlier the collision.

"They were flying little than I would presume a chopper would be, and they were flying truly adjacent together, similar excessively close," said Diana Cleuff of Shamong, New Jersey. "I accidental to myself, 'My God, I anticipation they are conscionable flying excessively close, I anticipation they don't clip each other.' And the infinitesimal I said it to myself, the interaction occurred."

Cleuff said she watched successful fearfulness arsenic 1 chopper crashed and the different appeared to conflict successful the air.

"It was horrifying, I watched the 1 conscionable clang and the different one, I felt horrible due to the fact that helium was trying to get control," she said. "It's thing nary 1 should really spot successful their lives."

One of the helicopters came down successful the backyard of Hammonton nonmigratory Caitlyn Collins, who said she and her hubby heard the craft moments earlier the crash.

"I conscionable heard this wub, wub, wub sound...and I was like, 'What is that?'" Collins said. "My hubby conscionable starts screaming, 'Call 911.'"

Collins said she and her husband, on with a neighbour who is an off-duty Hammonton constabulary officer, rushed to the clang site.

"There was a antheral successful there, helium was conscious and breathing, and benignant of conscionable looking around," she said. "The lone happening I could deliberation to bash was clasp his manus and speech to him, truthful I conscionable laid successful the crushed adjacent to him and was like, 'Hey, we're here, don't worry.'"

The injured aviator was taken to a trauma center, wherever helium aboriginal died.

"One of the helicopters burst into flames; luckily, determination was not immoderate manufacture oregon commercialized buildings oregon populated areas it went down in," Friel said. "It could person gone a batch worse, and determination could person been a batch much nonaccomplishment of life."

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB volition pb the investigation, which volition analyse the pilots, the craft and the operating environment.

According to FAA records, 1 chopper is registered to a charter institution successful Lancaster, Pa., portion the different is privately owned retired of Carneys Point, N.J.

A preliminary study is expected wrong 30 days. A last report, including a probable cause, could instrumentality up to 2 years.