At least 1 dead, 1 injured after helicopters collide in New Jersey
HAMMONTON, NJ — One person died, and another is in critical condition after two helicopters crashed in a midair collision in New Jersey, authorities said on Sunday.
The two helicopters “collided in mid-air” near the Hammonton Municipal Airport in New Jersey at around 11:25 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Hammonton is a town about 34 miles outside of Philadelphia.
At the time of the incident, the FAA said only the pilots were on board each aircraft. The helicopters involved were an Enstrom F-28A and an Enstrom 280C, according to the FAA.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said officers had received a call about an aviation crash between two helicopters. Both helicopters crash-landed, and one was engulfed in flames, he added.
“There is confirmed one fatality at this point and one subject transported by EMS with critical life-threatening injuries,” Friel said, adding that local police, fire, and emergency personnel helped extinguish the helicopter in flames.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. Local fire officials asked people avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to operate safely.
Acting New Jersey Gov. Tahesha Way said in a statement that her office has been updated on the crash.
Latest incident involving helicopter in 2025
The helicopter crash comes more than a week after retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his immediate family, and others were killed when their small business jet crashed in western North Carolina.
The seven-passenger Cessna C550 plane burst into flames while landing at an airport about 40 miles outside of Charlotte. The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash but have not yet released information on the cause.
Earlier this year, a Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight landing at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, killing 67 people. The crash marked the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States in decades.
The government in December admitted liability for the role Army pilots navigating the helicopter and air traffic controllers played in the accident.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press
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