NEW JERSEY: 2 helicopters collide mid-air, 1 dead, pilot injured

International

A MID-AIR collision between two helicopters over southern New Jersey on Sunday has left one person dead and another critically injured, prompting a federal investigation into the cause of the crash.

Local authorities in Hammonton said the aircraft struck each other while flying above the city, before one of the helicopters plunged to the ground and burst into flames.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene and worked to put out the fire, a report by BBC said.

Police confirmed that only the pilots were on board the two helicopters at the time of the collision. One pilot was pronounced dead, while the other was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is coordinating with investigators to determine how the aircraft came into contact mid-air. Federal officials are expected to examine flight paths, communications and weather conditions.

The National Transportation Safety Board identified the helicopters as an Enstrom 280C and an Enstrom F-28A, both small, lightweight models typically used for training or short flights. The crash occurred shortly after 11:25 a.m. local time.

Hammonton, a town located roughly 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia and near the Atlantic City Expressway, is not typically a high-traffic area for aviation incidents, according to local officials.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)