Authorities have named the two pilots who lost their lives in a tragic mid-air collision of helicopters in southern New Jersey. The deceased pilots, Kenneth Kirsch, aged 65, and Michael Greenberg, aged 71, were close friends residing in New Jersey and frequently enjoyed breakfast together at a nearby café close to the crash site in Hammonton, approximately 56 kilometers southeast of Philadelphia.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel confirmed that Kirsch was declared dead at a local hospital after being airlifted there, while Greenberg succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the accident. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the collision involved an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter above Hammonton Municipal Airport, with only the two pilots aboard each aircraft.
Sal Silipino, the café owner near the crash site, disclosed that the pilots were regular patrons of the establishment. Witnesses, including Silipino and other customers, recounted observing the helicopters taking off before one started descending rapidly, followed by the other. Silipino expressed shock at the incident, stating, “It was shocking. I’m still shaking after that happened.”
Hammonton, a community with approximately 15,000 residents situated in Atlantic County, New Jersey, lies about 56 kilometers southeast of Philadelphia. The town is recognized for its agricultural heritage and proximity to the Pine Barrens, an expansive forested area spanning over 405,000 hectares.
The FAA and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been informed and will conduct an investigation into the collision, according to Chief Friel. Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator with the FAA and NTSB, noted that investigators will likely focus on reviewing the communication between the two pilots and their visual observations to ascertain if a lapse in situational awareness led to the tragic accident.
Diehl emphasized, “Virtually all mid-air 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 cloudy conditions at the time of the crash, AccuWeather reported light winds and good visibility.