HAMMONTON, N.J. – A mid-air collision between two helicopters turned deadly Sunday morning in Hammonton, sending one aircraft plunging into flames and killing one person while critically injuring another, officials said.
The crash happened just after 11 a.m. near Basin Road and North White Horse Pike, less than three miles from Hammonton Airport. Police said the helicopters collided above the 100 block of Basin Road before both went down. One of the aircraft erupted in flames on impact as emergency crews rushed to extinguish the fire.
Hammonton police confirmed that one victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while another was transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Their identities have not yet been released.
Dramatic footage circulating on social media showed a thick column of black smoke rising from the crash site, recorded from the parking lot of a nearby Tractor Supply Co. store as stunned witnesses watched from a distance.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified and will lead the investigation into what caused the helicopters to collide.
Police urged residents to avoid Basin Road as recovery and investigative operations continued through the afternoon.
Authorities say one person was killed and another critically injured after two helicopters collided mid-air and crashed near Hammonton Airport.