December 29, 2025
Jim Walsh/Courier-Post; USA TODAY NETWORK
Two helicopters collided mid-air shortly after departing Hammonton Municipal Airport on Sunday. Both pilots died. Wreckage from the crash is pictured above.
The pilots of the two helicopters that crashed in Hammonton, New Jersey, on Sunday morning each have died, police confirmed Monday.
The crash occurred at 11:25 a.m. Sunday — just after the helicopters had departed Hammonton Municipal Airport. An Enstrom 280C and an Enstrom F-28A collided mid-air, crashing onto a field about 1 1/2 miles from the airport, police said.
One of the helicopters burst into flames on the ground. When first responders, including the Hammonton Fire Department and AtlantiCare EMS personnel, arrived on the scene, they extinguished the blaze and treated the pilots. They were later identified as Michael Greenberg, 71, of Sewell and Kenneth L. Kirsch, 65, of Carney's Point.
Greenberg, the pilot of the 280C, was pronounced dead at the scene. A medivac transported Kirsch, the pilot of the F-28A, to Cooper University Hospital in critical condition. He later died at the hospital.
There were no other passengers on board either aircraft.
Witnesses told law enforcement that the helicopters had been flying close together prior to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
As initial reports of the incident spread Sunday, the Hammonton Fire Department warned the public that AI-generated images and video purporting to depict the crash were circulating. The firefighters later thanked the town for its cooperation in a social media post.
"As we wind down from a very busy day for our firefighters and fellow responders, we thank the community for their support and cooperation," the Hammonton Fire Department wrote on Facebook. "While we train for critical incidents like this, they are not situations we typically need to respond to and always push us to operate at the highest level. Our thoughts go out to the individuals, families, and friends who are directly impacted."
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
