Dalena Reporters l December 28, 2025
Two helicopters collided mid-air over Hammonton, New Jersey, on Sunday, December 28, 2025, resulting in the death of one pilot and another critically injured, authorities said, sparking an immediate investigation by U.S. aviation safety officials. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) described the accident as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A and an Enstrom 280C helicopter near Hammonton Municipal Airport in southern New Jersey, with only the pilots aboard both aircraft at the time of the crash.
Emergency responders, including local police and fire crews, were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of the incident at about 11:25 a.m. EST, extinguishing flames from at least one of the downed helicopters and providing immediate aid. One pilot was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was rushed to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials confirmed.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA are leading the investigation into the cause of the collision, with early analysis expected to include review of communications between the two pilots and visibility conditions that may have contributed to the “failure to see and avoid,” a common factor in mid-air aviation accidents. Hammonton — a town of about 15,000 people located roughly 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia — witnessed the tragic event amid mostly good visibility weather, according to preliminary reports.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the crash site while investigators conduct their work, as aviation safety officials seek to determine the sequence of events leading to the rare and fatal midair helicopter collision.