Tragic Midair Collision: Both Pilots Lose Lives in Helicopter Crash

On Sunday, two helicopters tragically collided midair in Hammonton, New Jersey, resulting in the deaths of both pilots, as confirmed by local authorities.

Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel reported that emergency responders were dispatched to the scene following a call about the aviation incident around 11:25 a.m. Eyewitness footage captured one helicopter spiraling uncontrollably toward the ground, while police and fire crews worked diligently to extinguish the flames engulfing one of the aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the incident as a midair collision involving an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, both operating over Hammonton Municipal Airport. Each helicopter was occupied solely by its pilot. One pilot was pronounced dead at the crash site, while the other was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Sal Silipino, the owner of a cafe located near the crash site, shared that the pilots were familiar faces at his establishment, often enjoying breakfast together. He recounted watching the helicopters take off, only to witness one begin to spiral downward, followed closely by the other. “It was shocking,” Silipino remarked. “I’m still shaking after that happened.”

Hammonton resident Dan Dameshek also witnessed the horrifying event. He was leaving a gym when he heard a loud snap and saw the helicopters spinning out of control. “Immediately, the first helicopter went from right side up to upside down and started rapidly spinning, falling out of the air,” Dameshek recounted. “Then it looked like the second helicopter was OK for a second, and then it sounded like another snap or something … and then that helicopter started rapidly spinning out of the air.”

Hammonton, a town of approximately 15,000 residents located in Atlantic County, New Jersey, lies about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia. Known for its agricultural history, the town is situated near the Pine Barrens, a vast forested wilderness area covering over 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).

In the wake of the crash, both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct investigations. Chief Friel indicated that investigators will likely begin by examining communications between the two pilots and assessing whether they had visibility of each other. Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the FAA and NTSB, noted, “Virtually all midair collisions are a failure to what they call ‘see and avoid.’ Clearly they’ll be looking at the out-of-cockpit views of the two aircraft and seeing if one pilot was approaching from the blind side.”

Despite the mostly cloudy conditions at the time of the crash, light winds and good visibility were reported by AccuWeather.

Associated Press writer Sean Murphy contributed from Oklahoma City. Fernando reported from Chicago.

Photo: Debris from a helicopter is shown after two helicopters crashed in Hammonton, N.J., on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP)

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

On Sunday, two helicopters tragically collided midair in Hammonton, New Jersey, resulting in the deaths of both pilots, as confirmed by local authorities.

Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel reported that emergency responders were dispatched to the scene following a call about the aviation incident around 11:25 a.m. Eyewitness footage captured one helicopter spiraling uncontrollably toward the ground, while police and fire crews worked diligently to extinguish the flames engulfing one of the aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the incident as a midair collision involving an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, both operating over Hammonton Municipal Airport. Each helicopter was occupied solely by its pilot. One pilot was pronounced dead at the crash site, while the other was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Sal Silipino, the owner of a cafe located near the crash site, shared that the pilots were familiar faces at his establishment, often enjoying breakfast together. He recounted watching the helicopters take off, only to witness one begin to spiral downward, followed closely by the other. “It was shocking,” Silipino remarked. “I’m still shaking after that happened.”

Hammonton resident Dan Dameshek also witnessed the horrifying event. He was leaving a gym when he heard a loud snap and saw the helicopters spinning out of control. “Immediately, the first helicopter went from right side up to upside down and started rapidly spinning, falling out of the air,” Dameshek recounted. “Then it looked like the second helicopter was OK for a second, and then it sounded like another snap or something … and then that helicopter started rapidly spinning out of the air.”

Hammonton, a town of approximately 15,000 residents located in Atlantic County, New Jersey, lies about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia. Known for its agricultural history, the town is situated near the Pine Barrens, a vast forested wilderness area covering over 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).

In the wake of the crash, both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct investigations. Chief Friel indicated that investigators will likely begin by examining communications between the two pilots and assessing whether they had visibility of each other. Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the FAA and NTSB, noted, “Virtually all midair collisions are a failure to what they call ‘see and avoid.’ Clearly they’ll be looking at the out-of-cockpit views of the two aircraft and seeing if one pilot was approaching from the blind side.”

Despite the mostly cloudy conditions at the time of the crash, light winds and good visibility were reported by AccuWeather.

Associated Press writer Sean Murphy contributed from Oklahoma City. Fernando reported from Chicago.

Photo: Debris from a helicopter is shown after two helicopters crashed in Hammonton, N.J., on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP)

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.