6abc Helicopter Crash: Photographer, pilot killed after Chopper 6 crashes in Wharton State Forest
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A helicopter crash in Burlington County has ended in tragedy for a local news outlet.
ABC Action News confirms that a photographer and pilot onboard died after Chopper 6 crashed in Wharton State Forest Tuesday night.
The pilot was Monroe Smith, 67, of Glenside, Pa. and the photographer was Christopher Dougherty, 45, of Oreland, Pa. The victims were identified Wednesday afternoon.
A GoFundMe has been created for those who would like to support the family of Christopher Doughterty.
The investigation of the fatal crash of the 6 ABC helicopter moved to a new phase Thursday as the team leading the probe from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) arrived at the crash site.
Todd Gunther, NTSB said "we have a debris field from the helicopter that’s approximately 100 yards long. Additionally, tree-strike images show it was in a descending pattern in other words descending when it impacted the trees."
The NTSB says its 8-person team will probe whether anything "fell off" the copter, examine its rotor system, maintenance, weather and the "psychology of the pilot" as it pieces together the tragedy that claimed two lives.
6abc Helicopter Crash updates, photographer reacts
The investigation continues to find the cause of the helicopter crash that left ABC Action News' 45-year-old photographer Christopher Dougherty and 67-year-old pilot Monroe Smith dead in Wharton State Forest Tuesday night. Plus, retired news photographer Pete Kane, speaks on his longtime friend, Monroe.
The helicopter came down near Quaker Bridge and Mullica River roads in Washington Township around 8 p.m.
SKYFOX was live over the scene as crews searched the area, and a small fire appeared to break out near the scene.
FAA officials say the Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopter was located in Hammonton around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
N.J. State Park police officer located and confirmed a debris field a few hundred yards off Mullica River Road in Washington Township, Burlington County.
According to Flight Aware, a tracking service, the copter departed from N.E. Philadelphia after 7 p.m. Tuesday night, flew to an assignment to record "some Christmas light activity" on the Jersey Shore and crashed on its way back after 8 p.m.
It was last tracked at 300 feet in the air, traveling at 119 miles per hour.
ABC News says the two "have a long history with our station and have been working as part of the Action News team for years."
6abc Helicopter Crash: Pilot speaks out after former colleagues involved in crash
Philadelphia Police Department’s Lieutenant Ryan Teaford details his experience as a helicopter pilot after once working alongside 45-year-old photographer Christopher Dougherty and 67-year-old pilot Monroe Smith who died after ABC’s Chopper 6 crashed in Wharton State Forest Tuesday night.
Philadelphia Police Department’s Lieutenant Ryan Teaford details his experience as a helicopter pilot after once working alongside the two, even calling Monroe his boss at one point.
FOX 29's Jeff Cole spoke to retired news photographer ,Pete Kane, who knew the pilot for a longtime and said when he had heard of the crash he called Smith the next morning, but he didn't pick up.
"He didn’t answer the phone," said Kane. "Then my concerns hit. I know he’d answer if Chopper 6 went down. He’d answer the phone."
Kane continued,"we all have a job to do. He took on the job being a new chopper pilot. He just accepted that job like any other job."
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation with the help of the Federal Aviation Administration.