HAMMONTON, N.J. -- A second pilot involved in a midair helicopter crash in southern New Jersey has died from his injuries, police said in a statement Monday.

The aircrafts, an Enstrom F-28A and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, collided in mid-air at about 11:25 a.m. Sunday after departing from Hammonton Municipal Airport, the Hammonton Police Department said.

One of the pilots, Michael Greenberg, 71, of Sewell, New Jersey, died Sunday at the scene of the crash. The other pilot, Kenneth L. Kirsch, 65, of Carney’s Point, New Jersey, was airlifted to a hospital where he later died from his injuries, police said.

Only the pilots were on board the helicopters when they collided, officials previously said.

The helicopters crash landed in field and a tree line about a mile and a half from the airport, police said, adding the cause of the crash is still being investigated by federal agencies.

Video from CNN affiliate WPVI shows police tape surrounding pieces of mangled aircraft, with long helicopter blades jutting out of the ground.

Papers and clothes litter the field next to the badly damaged red Enstrom F-28A, while the white body of the Enstrom 280C sits close by, charred beyond recognition.

“It was hard to even tell it was a helicopter,” Hammonton Fire Department Chief Sean Macri told CNN. The Enstrom 280C “looked like a pile of mangled metal that was on fire.”

Sal Silipino owns a restaurant at the airport, where he said the two pilots were friendly regulars and had eaten breakfast minutes before taking off for their flights.

“They’re really very kind to all of the workers, the staff and all,” the Apron Cafe owner said, telling the Associated Press he had watched them take off and was shocked they ended up crashing. “They really looked good, so it’s hard to believe.”

The National Transportation Safety Board said it has opened an investigation into the crash, sending an investigator to the scene to gather flight track data, aircraft maintenance records, communications with air traffic control, witness statements and more.

“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 Sen. Cory Booker said his office is in contact with the NTSB and is requesting more information about the crash.

“Reports of this morning’s fatal helicopter crash over South Jersey are horrifying and tragic,” Booker wrote on social media. “My heart is with those impacted and their families.”

Sen. Andy Kim said he was “heartbroken” to learn of the crash in his state, writing in a social media post the community “will rally behind the family of the individual who lost their life as we navigate this terrible tragedy.”

Hammonton, located in Atlantic County, is about 35 miles from Philadelphia and sits near the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a vast area of forested wilderness.

This story has been updated with additional information.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.