Our reporting has been updated to include late developments. This story was originally published on Sunday, December 28, 2025.
At least one person has died, and another is critically injured after two helicopters collided midair over Southern New Jersey on Sunday. The incident occurred in the late morning and prompted a response from multiple agencies.
It happened near Hammonton Municipal Airport and Hammonton Hospital in Atlantic County, about 35 miles outside of Philadelphia. Details leading up to the crash are unclear, but authorities are investigating the cause.
Investigators Working To Verify Aircraft Registration Numbers
Sunday, December 28, 2:30 PM EST
In a statement to Simple Flying Sunday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the helicopters involved include an Enstrom F-28A and an Enstrom 280C. Additionally, only the pilots were onboard during the incident.
« An Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter collided in mid-air near Hammonton Municipal Airport in New Jersey around 11:25 a.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 28, » it said.« Only the pilots were on board each aircraft. »
The agency also explained that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation and « will provide further updates. » Investigators are currently working to determine the registrations of each helicopter.
Fire Engulfs One Helicopter
Sunday, December 28, 2:00 PM EST
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel confirmed that two helicopters crashed to the ground. However, only one was engulfed in flames, according to USA TODAY. Local police, fire, and emergency responders helped extinguish the fire. Friel also confirmed one death and one person sustaining critical injuries.
« There is confirmed one fatality at this point and one subject transported by EMS with critical life-threatening injuries, » he said.
Spinning Out Of Control
According to the Flightradar24 Flight Spotters Facebook page, initial reports of the crash began to circulate around 11:20 AM EST. About an hour later, the Hammonton Fire Department posted on social media that it, along with other agencies, were « currently responding to an aviation-related incident in the area of Bason Road and WHP. » The department also alerted people to « avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to operate safely. »
Video of the incident shows one helicopter spinning out of control before making impact with the ground.
There is one confirmed death, while multiple reports also suggest one person sustaining critical injuries. As of 12:20 PM, first responders had reached one aircraft. The other helicopter involved reportedly crashed into the woods. One person has been extricated from an aircraft, while authorities are still searching for other victims, according to the Lancaster County News and Breaking News Alerts Facebook page.