Two helicopters collided while flying in the skies of New Jersey: according to what was reported by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the collision occurred between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, a short distance from the municipal airport of Hammonton, a town of 15,000 inhabitants located 56 km from Philadelphia. The accident occurred around 11.25am (5.25pm in Italy) yesterday, Sunday 28 December. The two respective pilots were traveling on board the helicopters: the first died, while the second was seriously injured and was immediately transported to hospital.
According to the testimonies of some present, immediately after the collision one of the two helicopters began to spin: the aircraft may have “entered a spin” – which occurs when an aircraft suffers an asymmetric stall – before falling to the ground, but the official dynamics have not yet been clarified. Both helicopters immediately attempted a crash landing: after the impact, one helicopter was engulfed in flames.
At the moment, the causes of the accident have not yet been communicated by the authorities, although meteorological causes seem to be excluded, given that visibility was good: the FAA and the NTSB have opened investigations, collecting data on the flight route, as well as the aircraft’s maintenance records and communications with air traffic control. As also visible in the video of Reutersthe surrounding areas were closed to the population to allow the emergency services to intervene.
