Sunday, August 21, 2011

Survivor of mid-air collision remains in critical condition. Hammonton Municipal Airport (N81), New Jersey.

The pilot that parachuted from his plane after it collided with another aircraft near the Hammonton Municipal Airport on Saturday afternoon remained hospitalized Sunday.

Kirill Barsukov, of Jersey City, was taken to Cooper University Hospital Medical Center Saturday after his YAK-55M plane collided with a LANCAIR IV P. That plane was registered to David Mitchell of Voorhees, Camden County.

Hospital officials said Barsukov was still critical Sunday afternoon.

While Mitchell has not been identified by police as the pilot who died, Tom Beamer, an acquaintance of Mitchell's, told reporters Saturday it was Mitchell who died in the crash.

Hammonton Police are investigating the crash and did not have any information they could release Sunday.

State police from the Buena Vista station said they were informed of Saturday's crash, but are not part of the investigation.

Witnesses to the incident said the pilot of the YAK-55M parachuted out of the aircraft and called police before he required medical attention.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said the crash occurred in an "aerobatic box." That airspace is reserved for pilots practicing aerobatic maneuvers. However, it has not been determined whether the pilots were practicing tricks.

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