One person was killed and another was critically injured when two helicopters collided 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. 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 and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will investigate the crash, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
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In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter had collided midair near Hammonton Municipal Airport at approximately 11:25 a.m. local time.
The information provided by the FAA is preliminary and subject to change.
The FAA said it will post a preliminary accident report, usually by the next business day, 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 NTSB also said its investigation will focus on three primary areas - the pilot, 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 background of the pilot, 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.
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New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way wrote on X that she has been updated on the midair collision.
"The Atlantic County Office of Emergency Management, Hammonton Police Department, and @NJSP personnel are on the scene," she said.
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.
