ERA26FA077 · Enstrom 280 C

On December 28, 2025, at 1124 eastern standard time, an Enstrom F-28A helicopter, N520H, and an Enstrom 280C helicopter, N280MG, collided in midair near Hammonton, New Jersey. The private pilots onboard each of the helicopters were fatally injured. Both helicopters were being operated as Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flights. According to preliminary ADS-B data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, both helicopters had departed from Vineland-Downstown Airport (28N), Vineland, New Jersey at about 0948 and flew parallel paths to Hammonton Municipal Airport (N81), Hammonton, New Jersey, arriving about 0958. No ADS-B data captured the helicopters’ subsequent departure from N81 on the accident flight. Surveillance video captured both helicopters as they flew in close proximity to each other shortly before the accident. The helicopters were slightly staggered from one another and flying on a similar heading, similar to a formation flight. As the flight continued, the helicopters converged until they contacted each other. Subsequently, one helicopter began a tumbling descent toward terrain before exiting the frame of the video. The other helicopter pitched up sharply before leveling out. Shortly after, the helicopter began yawing in a clockwise direction and descended rapidly until it exited the video frame. The accident site was located about 1.5 miles southwest of N81 and was comprised of a debris path that was about 1,211 ft-long. The first identified debris along the path included several paint chips consistent with the paint color of both helicopters. Further along the debris path were portions of the main rotor blades of both helicopters, as well as portions of the tail cone and tail rotor blades of N280MG. The primary wreckage of N520H was about 890 feet from the beginning of the debris path. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail cone, tail rotor, and main rotor. The aft portion of the tail cone had partially separated from the forward portion of the tail cone and was only attached to the airframe through one tail rotor control cable; the other control cable displayed tensile overload signatures. There were no signs of fire. Portions of the main rotor skin, plexiglass, as well as a portion of the tail rotor drive shaft, were found along the debris path. The ground on the left side of main portion of the wreckage displayed signatures consistent with main rotor strikes. The primary wreckage of N280MG was about 270 ft from the primary wreckage of N520H. The helicopter was destroyed by a postimpact fire, and most of the fuselage and main rotor system had been consumed by the fire. The tail cone remained relatively intact and displayed terrain impact damage and the aft portion of the tail cone displayed damage consistent with impact while in flight. Portions of one of the main rotor blades, the tail rotor, and the tail cone of this helicopter were also found along the debris path. Further examination of the main rotor skins of N520H revealed an impact mark with paint transfer of a color consistent with the tail rotor blade of N280MG. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.

Verbatim NTSB factual narrative from the NTSB dataset