NTSB investigating helicopter crash that killed 2 pilots in Hammonton, New Jersey

By Marcella Baietto

Two pilots died after their helicopters collided midair in Hammonton, New Jersey on Sunday.

Just before 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 28, the Hammonton Police Department said two helicopters crash-landed near Basin Road and White Horse Pike in Atlantic County. 

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter were involved in the deadly collision near Hammonton Municipal Airport. The helicopters collided midair and only the pilots were on board each aircraft, according to the FAA.

Police identified the pilots as 65-year-old Kenneth L. Kirsch, of Carney’s Point, New Jersey, and 71-year-old Michael Greenberg of Sewell, New Jersey.  

Greenberg was pronounced dead at the scene, and Kirsch died from his injuries after being taken to the hospital.

One of the helicopters was “engulfed in flames,” according to a statement from Hammonton Police. 

Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including the Hammonton Fire Department and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash. A preliminary incident report will be posted within the next business day by the FAA.

In a statement the NTSB said the agency is looking into the “inflight collision,” and investigators returned to the crash site on Monday. Once the wreckage from the scene is documented, the aircraft “will be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.”

The agency’s investigation will focus on three areas including “the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.” A preliminary report by the NTSB is expected within 30 days of the incident.

Neighbors rush to help

Caitlyn Collins, who said one of the helicopters landed in her backyard, rushed to help the pilot who survived the initial crash.

She saw the pilot and the red helicopter on its side behind her home. 

“I just held his hand, I just told him everything was going to be OK and everything was fine, and I told him — you know, you could hear the sirens — I said, they’re coming for you,” Collins said. 

Collins said she tried to lighten the mood with some jokes while they waited for first responders to arrive. Her husband helped paramedics access the crash site, Collins said, and other neighbors also jumped into action until emergency crews arrived.

Chris Henshaw, who lives across the street, helped direct emergency responders. 

“There was no hesitation. … I grabbed the radio and ran,” said Henshaw, who is a detective with the Hammonton Township Police Department.

Henshaw’s wife, Briana, stayed back with their children. 

“It just felt surreal. It seemed like something you’d see in a movie,” Briana Henshaw said.    

“In that moment it was like, we have to do this together,” Collins said. “There’s not another option.”