Midair Helicopter Collision Kills One In New Jersey, Renewing U.S. Aviation Safety Scrutiny

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

HAMMONTON, USA (Worthy News) – One person was killed and another critically injured Sunday after two helicopters collided midair in southern New Jersey, U.S. authorities said, adding to heightened concern over aviation safety following an earlier deadly air disaster near the nation’s capital.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the incident was a midair collision near the U.S. city of Hammonton. Local Police Chief Kevin Friel said emergency crews were dispatched at about 11:25 a.m. local time Sunday after reports of an aviation crash.

Police and fire crews arrived to find one of the helicopters engulfed in flames, which were later extinguished, Friel said. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while another was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Video footage shared on social media appeared to show a helicopter spinning rapidly before crashing to the ground. However, authorities stressed that investigators will determine the exact cause and sequence of events.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA said they have launched an investigation. Officials did not immediately release the identities of the victims or details about the aircraft involved.

WASHINGTON CRASH STILL LOOMS

The New Jersey incident follows a far deadlier midair collision on January 29, 2025, over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

In that crash, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operating as American Airlines Flight 5342—flown by PSA Airlines under the American Eagle brand—collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter operating as Priority Air Transport 25.

All 67 people aboard both aircraft were killed, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the United States in recent years. In what became the first national tragedy of his second term, U.S. President Donald J. Trump quickly blamed Democrats and diversity initiatives within the federal government for the Potomac River collision.

Aviation experts and federal agencies rejected those claims, emphasizing that accident investigations are technical, evidence-based processes and that no conclusions had yet been reached.

U.S. aviation authorities have stressed that no link has been established between personnel policies and the causes of either crash.

Investigators said they will focus on flight paths, communications, airspace coordination, and mechanical factors before determining responsibility.
Officials noted that midair collisions remain rare but are often catastrophic when they occur.

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