Two people were killed when two helicopters collided in the sky over New Jersey over the weekend.
According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, at around 11:25 a.m. local time on December 28, an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter collided near Hammonton Municipal Airport in New Jersey. Hammonton is a small town about 34 miles outside of Philadelphia.
The agency said there were only pilots on board each plane.
Video of the incident obtained by USA TODAY shows one of the helicopters spinning and falling from the sky. Watch this story at the top.
Helicopter crashes in New Jersey
New Jersey helicopter crash kills 2; victims identified
Two helicopters had just taken off from the public Hammonton Municipal Airport when the incident occurred, Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Freer said in a news release. The helicopter crashed into fields and tree lines in a residential area. One of the helicopters was engulfed in flames.
The Hammonton Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the helicopter while fire and emergency personnel assisted the pilot of the other helicopter, who was extricated from the aircraft by nearby residents.
The pilot of the F-28A variant, later identified as Kenneth L. Kirsch, 65, of Caney Point, New Jersey, was flown by medical helicopter to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. He died from his injuries in hospital.
The pilot operating the 280C helicopter was identified as Michael Greenberg, 71, of Sewell, New Jersey. He died on the spot. Witnesses told officials they spotted two helicopters very close to each other shortly before the crash.
What caused the helicopter crash? The incident is under investigation
The two helicopters collided in farmland about a mile and a half from the airport, the statement said.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident. Freer said National Transportation Safety Board investigators were on scene and had recovered both helicopters.
Michelle Del Rey is a popular news reporter for USA Today. Contact her at mdelrey@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Video shows helicopter spinning in New Jersey crash that kills 2 pilots