Mid-air collision: Latest on deadly helicopter crash in Hammonton, NJ
One person is dead and another is critically injured after two helicopters collided in Hammonton, New Jersey.
It happened just after 11 a.m. Sunday near Basin Road and North White Horse Pike.
The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter over Hammonton Municipal Airport. Only the pilots were on board each aircraft.
#news #crash #newjersey #fyp https://6abc.com/post/dead-helicopter-collision-hammonton-new-jersey/18327955/
looked up and I just seen one of them
spiraling down and it was a little bit
disbelief.
>> Witnesses described the shock after two
helicopters collide and crash in
Atlantic County. They say the pilots
were friends who had just had a meal
together Sunday night. I'm John Paul.
Walter has the night off. And the big
story on Action News is breaking right
now. A deadly helicopter collision in
Hamilton. One person is dead after two
helicopters crashed late this morning.
Now, officials say the aircraft collided
midair near Hamilton Municipal Airport
around 11:25. Those choppers came down
in a field just off of Basin Road.
Action News reporter Amanda Pittz has
been gathering witness accounts and
details on this. Also got an update from
officials. So, Amanda, what's the latest
on this?
Yeah, John. We're told that these two
pilots flew here to have breakfast at a
local airport cafe and that's when they
crashed in this field behind me. It's a
very rural area, pitch black at this
hour. But you can see that spotlight.
That's where investigators, including
the FAA, are combing through this rubble
to find out how this happened.
>> I saw one go down and then I saw the
other one go down and it was a little
bit of disbelief. It's like, is that
really happening?
>> Salipino couldn't believe his eyes when
the two pilots he just watched take off
from the Hamilton Municipal Airport in
their helicopters crashed minutes into
their flight. He owns the cafe at the
airport.
>> It was shocking. Still shaking a little
bit to see uh that happen. Um they were
just at our cafe having breakfast. They
they're regulars. They come in. They
seem to be very nice people.
>> Investigators say the pilots collided in
midair around 11:25 this morning,
crashing into this field off of Route 30
by Basin Road in Hamilton, New Jersey.
One pilot died, the other was flown to a
trauma center in critical condition.
Reports were that they were flying in
tandem, that they were flying close
together, which is probably what caused
the collision to occur.
>> Seconds before the crash, Diana Kluff
noticed something was off with the
choppers. She was in a parking lot a few
yards away.
>> And they were flying lower than I would
presume a helicopter would be, and they
were flying really close together, like
too close. And I say to myself, my god,
I hope they're just flying too close. I
hope they don't clip each other. And the
minute I said it to myself, it the
impact occurred.
>> A witness captured this video of one
helicopter spinning out of control
before crashing and catching fire.
>> It was just it's something no one should
actually see in their lives.
>> Now, the chief of police here in
Hamilton told us that both pilots are
from the tri-state area, but they have
not yet been identified. Um they are
their families are being notified at
this hour. Um, the FAA is here now. As I
mentioned, the MTSB will be here first
thing in the morning to continue this
investigation into how this crash
happened. Live in Hamilton, New Jersey
tonight, Amanda Pitts, Channel 6 Action
News. John
>> and just a tragic situation there.