Two Pilots Identified After Fatal Mid-Air Helicopter Collision in New Jersey
Authorities on Monday identified the two pilots who died after their helicopters collided midair in southern New Jersey, officials confirmed.
The victims were identified as Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71. Authorities said the two men were friends, both lived in New Jersey, and were known to regularly meet for breakfast at a café near the crash site in Hammonton, roughly 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel stated that Kirsch, of Carney’s Point, was transported to a nearby hospital after the crash, where he was later pronounced dead. Greenberg, of Sewell, died at the scene. Officials said witness accounts indicated the two helicopters were flying close together shortly before the collision.
“The crash site was approximately a mile and a half from the airport in a farm field,” Friel said, adding that statements from witnesses placed the aircraft in close proximity just before impact.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board were on site Monday as part of the ongoing investigation. Friel said emergency crews responded to a report of an aviation crash at approximately 11:25 a.m. Sunday. Video from the scene shows one helicopter spinning rapidly toward the ground. Police and fire crews later extinguished flames that engulfed one of the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration described the incident as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter over Hammonton Municipal Airport. Officials confirmed that only the pilots were on board each helicopter at the time.
Sal Silipino, the owner of a café near the crash site, said both pilots were regular customers who frequently had breakfast together. He said he and other patrons watched the helicopters take off before noticing one aircraft begin spiraling downward, followed shortly by the second.
“It was shocking,” Silipino said. “I’m still shaking after that happened.”
Hammonton resident Dan Dameshek told NBC10 that he was leaving a gym when he heard a loud snapping sound and saw both helicopters lose control. He described one aircraft flipping upside down and spinning rapidly, followed moments later by the second helicopter entering a similar descent.
Hammonton is a town of approximately 15,000 residents located in Atlantic County in southern New Jersey. The area has a strong agricultural history and sits near the Pine Barrens, a large forested region covering more than one million acres.
Aviation experts say investigators will likely examine communication between the pilots and whether visibility played a role. Alan Diehl, a former FAA and NTSB crash investigator, said most midair collisions involve a failure to visually detect nearby aircraft.
“Virtually all midair collisions are a failure to what they call ‘see and avoid,’” Diehl said, noting investigators will examine cockpit sightlines and potential blind spots.
Weather conditions at the time of the crash were mostly cloudy, with light winds and good visibility, according to AccuWeather. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials said additional updates will be released as more information becomes available.
