One pilot dies, another survives midair crash in South Jersey

One pilot was killed and another parachuted to safety after their single-engine planes collided and disintegrated in midair Saturday over woods in Hammonton, N.J.

The 1:30 p.m. crash occurred on an afternoon that left at least six other people dead in traffic accidents near the Jersey Shore.

Ninety minutes earlier, an SUV overturned on a Garden State Parkway exit ramp, killing four teens on the Mainland Regional High School football team.

And hours later, police closed the Black Horse Pike when a two-car crash near Atlantic City killed two children and injured three others.

Late Saturday, officials had not released the names of the pilots as they continued confirming identities.

Witnesses said the pilot who died was a 71-year-old "passionate" flier from Voorhees who had logged more than 3,000 hours. They said he had often flown with his wife and loved spending time with his two sons, daughter, and grandchildren.

Others described the second pilot as a man in his 30s who was a seasoned acrobatic flier and skydiver from North Jersey.

At the Taildragger Inn, a pilots' hangout next to Hammonton Municipal Airport, witnesses said they had been shocked, some screaming, as they watched the older man's plane, a Lancair IV-P, clip the other plane near the tail, slicing the Yakovlev Yak-55M. They believe the planes collided about 2,800 feet high. Some relief followed as they saw a parachute emerge.

"As soon as you see the canopy, you know he's going to be OK," said a shaken Sergio Boryak, who described the younger pilot as a friend.

The pilots said that they had never witnessed a midair collision, and that to see a pilot survive was unbelievable. According to some, the younger pilot walked out of the woods before he was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden. He was expected to survive, authorities said.

The red-and-white Yak-55M was registered to Kirill Barsukov of Jersey City, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Barsukov is a member of the region's International Aerobatic Club, which describes its members as "enthusiasts" from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

In Hammonton, debris was spread more than a quarter-mile near the airport, which is surrounded by woods and farms, including blueberry and corn fields. Local pilots rushed to the wreckage, many arriving before police, fire, and other rescue crews.

The FAA is handling the investigation, Hammonton Police Lt. Mark Fiorentino said. He said he had never seen a crash like Saturday's - in his 20 years on the force - in which there was so much damage and yet one pilot survived.

The crash occurred in airspace reserved for air-show pilots to practice, FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac said. Authorities said it did not appear that either pilot had been practicing acrobatics.

"I heard something loud, and then there were all kinds of sirens and trucks rushing to the area," said John Norton, 26, of Hammonton, who is studying to obtain a pilot's license.

Saturday's tragedy followed by less than a month a crash that critically injured Jason Flood, 20, as he flew a banner plane over Egg Harbor Township, N.J. As a teenager, Flood became well-known as an air-show performer.

Len Smith, 82, said he has been going to the airport praying for Flood's recovery. In his car, Smith held a wooden cross and rosary beads. He regularly watches the pilots.

"That's why I come here," Smith said. "To smoke cigars and watch the acrobatics."