One dead after two helicopters collide midair in New Jersey

New Jersey [US], December 29 : A midair collision between two helicopters in southern New Jersey on Sunday (local time) left one person dead and another injured, prompting a federal investigation into the cause of the crash, CNN reported.

The incident occurred around late morning near Hammonton Municipal Airport, where two Enstrom helicopters were flying at the time.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft, an Enstrom F-28A and an Enstrom 280C, "collided in mid-air" at about 11:25 a.m. Only the pilots were on board the helicopters when they struck each other.

Both helicopters came down in an open field in Hammonton. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and airlifted both victims to a nearby trauma centre, Hammonton Fire Department Chief Sean Macri said, CNN quoted.

Macri said one of the pilots was in critical condition during rescue efforts. One of the victims was in "possible cardiac arrest" when he was transported by ambulance, he said.

Authorities later confirmed that one person had died as a result of the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it has launched a formal investigation and has dispatched an investigator to the crash site. The agency said it will examine multiple factors, including flight track data, aircraft maintenance history, air traffic control communications and witness accounts.

"After the wreckage of both helicopters are documented, they will then be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation," the NTSB said.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker said his office is in touch with federal investigators and is seeking more details about the incident.

"Reports of this morning's fatal helicopter crash over South Jersey are horrifying and tragic. My heart is with those impacted and their families. My office is in contact with the NTSB and requesting more information about the details of this tragedy, " Booker wrote in an X post.

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