Two killed after midair helicopter collision near New Jersey airport
Video shows the aftermath after two helicopters collided near Hammonton Municipal Airport in New Jersey on Dec. 28, 2025. (Credit: Dan Dameshek via Storyful)
Two pilots were killed when two helicopters collided midair and crash-landed in Hammonton, New Jersey, on Sunday morning, authorities said.
The Hammonton Police Department told Fox News Digital that it had received calls of an aviation crash at approximately 11:25 a.m. local time involving two helicopters in the area of the 100 block of Basin Road.
Police, fire and EMS responded, extinguishing one helicopter that was engulfed in flames.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been notified and will investigate the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
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Two helicopters collided on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Hammonton, N.J. (WTXF)
The Hammonton Police Department said on Monday that an Enstrom model 280C and an Enstrom model F-28A helicopter collided midair near Hammonton Municipal Airport.
The pilot of the F-28A helicopter, Kenneth Kirsch, 65, of Carney’s Point, New Jersey, was flown to Cooper Hospital by medical helicopter, where he later died from his injuries, police said.
The pilot of the 280C helicopter, Michael Greenberg, 71, of Sewell, New Jersey, was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Statements from witnesses had the two helicopters flying close together just before the crash. The crash site was approximately a mile and a half from the airport in a farm field," read a press release from the department.
Two pilots are dead after two helicopters collided midair near Hammonton Municipal Airport on Dec. 28, 2025, prompting an FAA and NTSB investigation. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP)
The FAA said Sunday it will post a preliminary accident report after investigators verify the aircraft registration numbers.
The NTSB said it has opened an investigation and that an investigator was traveling to the scene. After the wreckage of both helicopters is documented, the aircraft will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.
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The site of a deadly helicopter collision in Hammonton, N.J., on Dec. 28, 2025. (WTXF)
The NTSB also said its investigation will focus on three primary areas — the pilots, the aircraft and the operating environment. Investigators will review flight track data, air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records, weather and lighting conditions, pilot licensing and flight experience, a 72-hour backgrounds of the pilots, witness statements, electronic devices and any available surveillance video, including doorbell cameras.
Anyone with information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
One person was killed and another critically injured after two helicopters collided midair near Hammonton Municipal Airport on Dec. 28, 2025, prompting an FAA and NTSB investigation. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP)
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The NTSB said it does not release the identities of those injured or killed, which is handled by local authorities. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, while a final report determining probable cause could take 12 to 24 months.
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