Two helicopters collided mid-air over New Jersey, killing one person and critically injuring another.
Police in Hammonton, about 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia, responded to a report of an aviation crash around 11:25 a.m. Sunday, and police and fire crews extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters.
“There is confirmed one fatality at this point and one subject transported by EMS with critical life-threatening injuries,” the Hammond Police Department said on Facebook.
Only the pilots were on board each aircraft, officials said.
The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a mid-air collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and an Enstrom 280C helicopter over Hammonton Municipal Airport.
Videos circulating on social media showed thick gray smoke billowing out from the area of the crash. Other footage reportedly showing the crash showed a helicopter spinning out of control as it fell toward the ground.
The Hammonton Fire Department warned people on social media that artificial intelligence-generated images and videos were being circulated that were “falsely depicted as coming from this incident.”
“We also ask community members to think before sharing content, as this is a tragic incident and an ongoing investigation,” the fire department added.
Local authorities are urging residents to avoid the area while they investigate.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified are will be investigating the crash, police said.
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