Authorities have named the two pilots who lost their lives in a tragic mid-air collision of helicopters in southern New Jersey on Sunday. Kenneth Kirsch, aged 65, and Michael Greenberg, aged 71, were close friends residing in New Jersey and would frequently meet for breakfast near the crash site in Hammonton, approximately 56 kilometers southeast of Philadelphia.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel confirmed that Kirsch succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital after being airlifted there, while Greenberg tragically passed away at the scene of the incident. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the collision involved an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter over Hammonton Municipal Airport, with only the pilots onboard each aircraft.
Sal Silipino, the owner of a nearby cafe, revealed that the pilots were regular patrons at his establishment. Silipino and other customers witnessed the helicopters departing before one of them started descending uncontrollably, followed by the other helicopter.
Hammonton, a town with a population of around 15,000 in Atlantic County, New Jersey, is situated about 56 kilometers southeast of Philadelphia. The town is known for its agricultural heritage and proximity to the Pine Barrens, a sprawling wilderness covering over 405,000 hectares.
Following the incident, both the FAA and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been informed and will commence investigations, according to Chief Friel. Analysts, like Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the FAA and NTSB, anticipate that the initial focus of the inquiry will be on examining communications between the two pilots and assessing their visual contact with each other.
Diehl highlighted that the majority of mid-air collisions are attributed to a failure in visual awareness, commonly referred to as ‘see and avoid.’ Investigators are expected to scrutinize external views from the cockpits of the helicopters to determine if one pilot approached from an unseen angle.
Despite cloudy conditions at the time of the accident, AccuWeather reported light winds and favorable visibility.