Two helicopters collide mid-air in New Jersey

One person has died and another suffered critical injuries after two helicopters collided mid-air on Sunday above a city in New Jersey, local police said.

The Hammonton Police Department reported that one of the helicopters was engulfed in flames by the time it crash landed on the ground, and emergency services were working to extinguish the fire.

Only the pilots were on board each aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement, adding there would be a federal investigation into what led to the collision.

Hammonton is about 35 miles (56km) south-east of Philadelphia, Pennsyvlania, just off the Atlantic City Expressway.

Hammonton Police said one person who was on board was receiving emergency care for "critical life-threatening injuries".

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the crash involved a Enstrom 280C helicopter and a Enstrom F-28A helicopter and happened at around 11:25 EST (16:25 GMT). Both helicopters are lightweight aircraft that typically hold three people or fewer.

In January, a military helicopter collided with a passenger jet in Washington DC, killing 67 people.

FAA data shows that the rate of deadly helicopter accidents has fallen on average over the last three years.

Source - Reuters