Authorities on Monday identified two pilots who died after their helicopters collided midair in southern New Jersey.
Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, both residents of New Jersey, were reportedly friends who frequently enjoyed breakfast together at a local cafe near the crash site.
According to Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel, Kirsch was pronounced dead at a hospital after being flown there, while Greenberg died at the site of the collision. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the helicopters were in close proximity to one another just before the disaster. The crash site was located approximately a mile and a half from the Hammonton Municipal Airport.
Rescue teams responded to the aviation accident around 11:25 a.m. on Sunday, with one helicopter seen spinning rapidly towards the ground before colliding with the other. Fire crews were later deployed to extinguish flames engulfing one of the helicopters.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the crash involved an Enstrom F-28A and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, with only the two pilots aboard the aircraft.
Local cafe owner Sal Silipino expressed shock at the incident, describing how he and other patrons watched the helicopters take off before witnessing one spiral downwards. It was shocking,” Silipino remarked. “I’m still shaking after that happened.”
Dan Dameshek, a Hammonton resident, recounted hearing a loud snap before witnessing two helicopters losing control midair. Immediately, the first helicopter went from right side up to upside down and started rapidly spinning, Dameshek explained.
Hammonton, with a population of approximately 15,000, is known for its agricultural background and is located near the Pine Barrens forested area. Investigators are focusing on communications between the two pilots to determine if visibility issues contributed to the incident. Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator, highlighted that most midair collisions stem from a failure in 'see and avoid' maneuvers.
Despite cloudy weather conditions, visibility at the time was reportedly adequate, according to AccuWeather forecasts.
