History and mysteries · Hammonton Municipal Airport and Basin Road area
Hammonton: video and paint traces after a midair collision (2025)
Investigation preliminary · Source reviewed
The preliminary investigation combines surveillance images with physical evidence while leaving responsibility undetermined.
Two aircraft converge
Two Enstrom helicopters collided near Hammonton on December 28, 2025, killing both pilots. The NTSB’s preliminary report describes surveillance video showing the aircraft flying close together on similar headings before their paths converged.
Earlier tracking data recorded their flight from Vineland to Hammonton. The report explicitly says that this data did not capture their subsequent departure on the accident flight. The accident sequence therefore depends on other evidence, including the video.
Marks that connect the aircraft
Investigators documented rotor and tail components along the debris path. A mark on one helicopter’s main-rotor skin carried paint consistent with the other helicopter’s tail-rotor blade. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
The latest report retrieved remains preliminary. The evidence establishes contact, but it does not yet explain why the aircraft converged or assign responsibility to either pilot. A description resembling formation flight is not proof of a particular prearranged maneuver.
Sources and research limits
NTSB preliminary report ERA26FA077, three pages, retrieved September 7, 2026. No final cause finding was available from this endpoint.