Authorities on Monday identified two pilots who died after their helicopters collided midair in southern New Jersey.
Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, were friends who both lived in New Jersey and would often have breakfast together at a cafe near the crash site in Hammonton, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel stated that Kirsch, of Carney’s Point, was pronounced dead after being flown to an area hospital, while Greenberg, of Sewell, died at the crash site.
“Statements from witnesses had the two helicopters flying close together just before the crash,” he remarked. “The crash site was approximately a mile and a half from the airport in a farm field.”
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board were dispatched to the scene following the incident, which occurred around 11:25 a.m. on Sunday.
Video footage from the crash site displayed a helicopter rapidly spinning towards the ground. Fire crews responded immediately to extinguish the flames from one of the helicopters.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that the crash involved an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, with only the pilots aboard.
Sal Silipino, cafe owner and witness to the incident, expressed shock, stating, “It was shocking. I’m still shaking after that happened.”
Hammonton resident Dan Dameshek recounted his experience, stating that he heard a loud snap before witnessing the helicopters spinning out of control.
“Immediately, the first helicopter went from right side up to upside down and started rapidly spinning,” he described. “Then it looked like the second helicopter was OK for a second, and then it sounded like another snap or something… and then that helicopter started rapidly spinning out of the air.”
As the investigation continues, experts emphasize that most midair collisions result from a failure to 'see and avoid' each other.
Despite cloudy conditions, visibility at the time of the crash was deemed good by weather forecasting services.
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