They shared a morning coffee, a ritual of friendship honed over a decade, before taking to the skies in separate helicopters—a flight that would tragically be their last.

Authorities in New Jersey, USA, have identified Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, as the victims of a catastrophic midair collision on Sunday, an incident that underscores the unforgiving nature of formation flying.

A Bond Broken in Seconds

The tragedy unfolded just moments after the two men departed from a local airfield. According to Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel, the pilots were not strangers merely sharing airspace; they were close friends who had earned their private pilot licenses over ten years ago. It was their custom to meet for breakfast at a café near the crash site before flying.

Witnesses described a harrowing scene to investigators, noting that the two choppers were flying in close proximity—a practice known as flying "in tandem"—just before the rotors tangled. The crash occurred at approximately 11:25 a.m. local time (7:25 p.m. EAT) in a farm field about 56 kilometers southeast of Philadelphia.

Investigation Underway

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)—the American equivalent of Kenya's Air Accident Investigation Department—has dispatched a team to the site. Investigators have mapped a debris field stretching roughly 91 meters (100 yards), containing critical components of the main and tail rotors.

Key details emerging from the preliminary inquiry include:

• Immediate Aftermath: Video footage from the scene captured one helicopter spinning uncontrollably toward the ground.
• Emergency Response: Fire crews were forced to extinguish flames that engulfed one of the aircraft upon impact.
• Fatalities: Greenberg died at the scene, while Kirsch succumbed to his injuries after being airlifted to a trauma center.

While a full preliminary report is expected within 30 days, initial assessments point to the dangers of close-proximity flight. As Chief Friel candidly told reporters, “Reports were that they were flying in tandem, that they were flying close together, which is probably what caused the collision to occur.”