Tragedy in the Skies: Two Pilots Killed in Fiery Mid-Air Helicopter Collision Over New Jersey.
Police say that two pilots died when their helicopters crashed into each other in the air on Sunday over a city in New Jersey. CBS, a news partner of the BBC, says that Hammonton Police named the pilots as Kenneth L. Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, both from New Jersey. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that only the pilots were on board each plane. They also said that there would be a federal investigation into what caused the crash. Hammonton is about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is just off the Atlantic City Expressway. Police said on Sunday that one of the helicopters was on fire when it crashed and landed on the ground. Emergency services were trying to put out the fire. The National Transportation Safety Board says that the crash happened around 11:25 EST (16:25 GMT) and involved an Enstrom 280C helicopter and an Enstrom F-28A helicopter. Both helicopters are light and usually only hold three people or fewer. In January, a military helicopter hit a passenger jet in Washington, DC, killing 67 people. According to FAA data, the number of deadly helicopter accidents has gone down on average over the past three years.
