Two men who died after their helicopters collided midair in New Jersey over the weekend both earned their private pilot licenses over a decade ago and would often have breakfast together at a cafe near the crash site before taking to the skies from the local airport.
Authorities on Monday identified the two New Jersey men as Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71. Witnesses told police that the two helicopters they were piloting Sunday were flying close together just before they crashed in a farm field near the airport in Hammonton, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said in a statement that Kirsch, of Carney’s Point, was pronounced dead at an area hospital after being flown there, while Greenberg, of Sewell, died at the crash site.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board were examining the accident site on Monday and determined the debris field is about 100 yards (91 meters) long and contains parts of the main rotors and tail rotors, a spokesperson said. Both helicopters are expected to be removed from the site Tuesday and taken to another location for further review.
A preliminary report is expected in about 30 days, the NTSB said.
Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25 a.m. Sunday. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to the ground. Police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters.
The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter near Hammonton Municipal Airport. Only the pilots were on board.
Kirsch and Greenberg both received their private pilot licenses in 2014, FAA records show. They often stopped at the Apron Cafe next to the airport for breakfast before flying, said the restaurant's owner, Sal Silipino.
Silipino said Kirsch and Greenberg ate at the cafe shortly before the crash. Patrons watched the helicopters take off from the airport and were stunned when the aircraft fell from the sky, he said.
“It was shocking. Still shaking to see that happen,” Silipino said. “They were just at our café having breakfast. They’re regulars. They come in every week or every other week. They fly in together. They seem to be very nice people. They were also very kind to the workers and staff and all.”
He said the helicopters' flights appeared to begin without incident.
“I saw one go down and then I saw the other one go down and there was little bit of disbelief. It’s like, is that really happening?," Silipino said.
FAA records show Kirsch was the registered owner of one of the helicopters, while the other aircraft was registered to M&M Charter LLC of Mountville, Pennsylvania. Contact information for M&M Charter could not be immediately found Monday.
Hammonton resident Dan Dameshek told NBC10 that he was leaving a gym when he heard a loud snap and saw two helicopters spinning out of control.
“Immediately, the first helicopter went from right side up to upside down and started rapidly spinning, falling out of the air,” Dameshek told the TV station. “And then it looked like the second helicopter was OK for a second, and then it sounded like another snap or something ... and then that helicopter started rapidly spinning out of the air.”
Hammonton is a town of about 15,000 people located in Atlantic County in the southern part of New Jersey. The town has a history of agriculture and is located near the Pine Barrens, a forested wilderness area that covers more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).
Investigators will likely first look to review any communications between the two pilots and whether they were able to see each other, said Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the FAA and NTSB.
“Virtually all midair collisions are a failure to what they call ‘see and avoid,’” Diehl said. “Clearly they’ll be looking at the out-of-cockpit views of the two aircraft and seeing if one pilot was approaching from the blind side.”
Although it was mostly cloudy at the time of the crash, winds were light and visibility was good, according to the weather forecasting company AccuWeather.
Debris from a helicopter is shown after two helicopters crashed in Hammonton, N.J., on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (WPVI-TV/6ABC via AP)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans know change is coming once this season is finished, and the challenge now is staying focused on the finale.
After all, they won't get another chance to string together consecutive wins until the 2026 season starts.
The Titans missed out once again on winning back-to-back games with their home finale loss to the New Orleans Saints, continuing a drought that stretches back to November 2022. Worse, they blew a 13-point lead in losing 34-26 to the Saints.
Four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was surprised when interim coach Mike McCoy told the Titans just how long it had been since the team won two games in a row.
“We can’t stack no more wins right now, we’ve just got to focus on this last one against Jacksonville," Simmons said. "When we get ready to come back this offseason and leading up to next year, it’s going to be different.”
A loss from matching last season's record at 3-14 has hidden the Titans' reasons for optimism.
Cam Ward has thrown for 3,117 yards, becoming the first rookie with a 3,000-yard passing season in franchise history and the first to top 3,000 yards since Ryan Tannehill in 2021. Ward has 15 touchdown passes with seven interceptions, and eight TDs have come over the past four games with only one pick.
McCoy said Ward again had some “wow plays” showing he can make the easy and really difficult plays.
Ward wants to finish with a win that would be Tennessee's third in the final five games.
“The best thing about this team is that we know change is coming,” Ward said after the loss to the Saints. “Change is coming in seven days.”
The Titans are putting points on the board. They managed to score at least 20 only three times through the first 10 games, a big reason they won only once in that stretch. Now the Titans have scored at least 24 points in five of the past six games.
The only time the Titans didn't score at least 24 points in this stretch was Nov. 30 in a 25-3 loss to the Jaguars.
The defense. The Titans limited New Orleans to just 92 yards and 10 points by halftime. The Saints rolled over them in the second half, outscoring them 24-6 and piling up yards. The Titans missed too many tackles, including on a 32-yard TD run with 3:44 left that turned a one-point deficit into the final score.
It doesn't help that the Titans' secondary had two starters traded away early this season and battered by injuries since. They lost cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis on the third play to an Achilles tendon injury.
Tight end Chig Okonkwo. He shook off a would-be tackle after picking up a first down on a fourth-and-2 toss from Ward, and he turned the play into a 43-yard TD. Okonkwo leads the Titans with 54 catches for 558 yards.
Ward had done a good job protecting the ball better when being smothered by pass rushers. He hadn't fumbled in four of the previous five games. Against the Saints, he fumbled twice. The first was taken away by Chase Young, who ran 33 yards for a TD to jumpstart New Orleans' comeback.
The second came on the final play of the game when Ward couldn't throw the ball before fumbling.
“Anytime you’re in a Hail Mary situation at the end of the game, we got to find a way to get that ball out,” McCoy said Monday. “Whether it’s stepping up in the pocket, letting that ball go, whatever you’ve got to do, we’ve got to find an opportunity to give ourselves a chance to go up and get that ball.”
Armour-Davis (Achilles tendon) and WR Van Jefferson (forearm) will be recovering into the offseason.
55 — The times Ward has been sacked as a rookie, most of any quarterback with 16 games played this season.
Try to spoil the playoff seeding and AFC South title hopes for the Jaguars (12-4) or wind up matching last season's record at 3-14. The only wrinkle is the Titans likely can pick no higher than fourth overall in the 2026 draft.
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Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo breaks away from New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry on a touchdown reception in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) is tripped up by New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) on the last play of the game, in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons talks to reporters after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) celebrates his touchdown reception with quarterback Cam Ward (1) in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) reacts after losing to the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
