New Jersey Helicopter crash

[Pilot DAR]

CNN is reporting a mid air in New Jersey between two helicopters with a fatality. One, shown on TV appears to be an Enstrom


https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/28/us/he...ion-new-jersey

Another report here:

https://www.wvnews.com/newsfeed/us/n...39f026d94.html

[Gaseous]

Mail online showing pictures. One is a 28A. The other is a 280C with registration visible. Awful.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ew-jersey.html

[ShyTorque]

These aircraft aren’t widely common; it seems rather surprising that two of them suffered a tragic collision.

[cobraPA]

Philadelphia local news reports one pilot deceased and one critically injured. (Search Philadelphia nbc10 heli) No PAX, only pilots onboard. Video captured looks like tail rotor authority lost on one.

[FH1100 Pilot]

Formation flight gone wrong?

[[email protected]]

They had breakfast together, took off together and crashed together so I reckon you are spot on FH1100. Sad waste of life

[RMK]

Not making any comment on the accident. But it does seem mathematically implausible for two Enstroms to be the same accident. In 20yrs of flying helicopters, the only Enstrom I’ve encountered was one on a static display at an air show. I’ve never encountered one on a ramp or in flight. It’s like seeing a crash between two hot pink Rolls Royces.

[Hangarless]

Originally Posted by RMK

Not making any comment on the accident. But it does seem mathematically implausible for two Enstroms to be the same accident. In 20yrs of flying helicopters, the only Enstrom I’ve encountered was one on a static display at an air show. I’ve never encountered one on a ramp or in flight. It’s like seeing a crash between two hot pink Rolls Royces.

Results would likely have been the same irrespective of make of helicopter.

I learned to fly on an Enstrom. Nothing wrong with them.

[treadigraph]

There are 26 currently on the UK register it seems, roughly 10% of the total number registered since 1967 - doubtless a few re-registrations in there though. Used to be pretty common sight as I recall. Then there was the late Dennis Kenyon and his airshow act...

[DuncanDoenitz]

Second pilot now deceased. RIP.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/28/u...ion-new-jersey

[OvertHawk]

Originally Posted by Hangarless

Results would likely have been the same irrespective of make of helicopter.

I learned to fly on an Enstrom. Nothing wrong with them.

I don't think that was the point the poster was trying to make. I think he was implying that their flight was likely to have been coordinated in some way since the odds of two Enstroms colliding at random would be very low. I didn't infer a criticism of the type in the post.

[Pilot DAR]

The news report and an interview with the restaurant owner who served them breakfast that day, makes it sound as though the two pilots were friends, and the flight may have been a planned flight "together". It would not seem odd to me that two fellows who owned the same type of helicopter would go flying together. I've done a lot of civil formation flying, it requires good planning, agreement on roles, discipline in flight, and an escape plan - or... lots of distance between the aircraft (and still the escape plan!).

[cobraPA]

Originally Posted by Pilot DAR

The news report and an interview with the restaurant owner who served them breakfast that day, makes it sound as though the two pilots were friends, and the flight may have been a planned flight "together". It would not seem odd to me that two fellows who owned the same type of helicopter would go flying together. I've done a lot of civil formation flying, it requires good planning, agreement on roles, discipline in flight, and an escape plan - or... lots of distance between the aircraft (and still the escape plan!).

Yes, local news reports they were friends and flew together. Also that they had taken off from the same NJ airport and crash occurred shortly after (one estimated 5 min.) Seems like they both liked Enstroms.