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 often had breakfast together at a cafe near the crash site in Hammonton, approximately 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
According to Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel, Kirsch was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being transported, while Greenberg died at the scene. Witness accounts indicated that the two helicopters were flying closely together just before the unfortunate collision, which occurred about a mile and a half from the airport, in a nearby farm field.
Rescue teams responded to reports of the crash around 11:25 a.m. Sunday, with videos showing one helicopter descending rapidly. Emergency responders quickly extinguished flames from one of the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration described the incident as involving an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, both carrying only the pilots.
Sal Silipino, the owner of a local café, recounted how the pilots were regular patrons and expressed shock at witnessing the accident unfold. Dan Dameshek, another resident, remarked that he observed the helicopters spinning out of control before the crash.
Investigators are expected to examine communications between the pilots and assess their visibility at the time of the accident. Experts suggest that most midair collisions result from a failure to 'see and avoid' other aircraft. The collision occurred amid lightly cloudy weather conditions, with good visibility according to weather reports.
