A deadly midair collision between two helicopters rocked southern New Jersey on Sunday, killing one person and seriously injuring another.
The crash happened just before noon near Basin Road and North White Horse Pike in Hammonton. Emergency crews from multiple agencies rushed to the scene after reports of helicopters going down and thick black smoke rising from the wreckage.
One person was killed in the crash, Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel confirmed. A second person was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration said an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter collided in midair. Only the pilots were onboard each aircraft.
The Hammonton Fire Department said it was called to an “aviation-related incident” at the location. Officials urged the public to avoid the area so emergency crews could operate safely.
“The Hammonton Fire Department, along with assisting agencies, is currently responding to an aviation-related incident in the area of Basin Road and WHP,” the department wrote on social media. “Please avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to operate safely.”
Chief Friel said responders were dispatched around 11:25 a.m. after receiving reports of an aviation crash. When police and fire crews arrived, they found one helicopter engulfed in flames and worked to extinguish the fire.
Viral video circulating on social media shows one helicopter spinning out of control before crashing around 11:40 a.m.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation. The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation and provide further updates.
Witness Dan Dameshek, 34, told NBC News he had just left the gym when he heard a “loud snap.”
“I turned around and saw one helicopter go from right-side up to upside down and dive into the ground,” he said. “For a second it looked like the other helicopter was OK, then I heard another smack, like metal hitting metal, and it started spinning out of control.”