Updated: Dec. 22, 5:30 P.M.
HAMMONTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Two longtime members of the 6ABC Action News team died on board a news helicopter after it went down in Burlington County, New Jersey Tuesday night.
6ABC identified the pilot as 67-year-old Monroe Smith, of Glenside, and the photographer as 45-year-old Christopher Dougherty, of Oreland.
According to FlightAware, a live flight tracking site, the chopper left Northeast Philadelphia Airport around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
6ABC said the crew was heading to the shore for an assignment, but on the way back, the chopper went down in the middle of Wharton State Forest.
New Jersey State Police were notified of the missing chopper around 11 p.m. About an hour later, a state park officer located and confirmed a debris field deep in the Pine Barrens, just a few hundred yards off of Mullica River Road in Washington Township.
A Federal Aviation Administration representative showed up initially to take a look at the scene, but it was too dense and remote.
The location of the crash is deep in the woods, which made it difficult for New Jersey state and park police officers to get to. Crews were called in to cut through the forest to get to the crash site at daybreak.
It’s still too early to say what caused the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is taking lead on the investigation.
The NTSB said in a statement that investigators will go over flight data, aircraft maintenance records, air traffic control recordings, the pilot’s background, and more.
6ABC said the helicopter is leased from U.S. Helicopters Inc., which is based in North Carolina.
Remembering the news crew
Members of the Philadelphia broadcasting community are mourning the loss of Smith and Dougherty. Smith used to fly with NBC10, a broadcast partner of KYW Newsradio. Retired photojournalist Pete Kane not only worked with him at the station for years but found out he graduated with him at Ben Franklin High.
“When I saw him a couple of months ago, toward the beginning of the year, he said, ‘I’m just doing a couple days a week. I’m looking to slow it down and retire soon. I’ve had a good life and have enjoyed what I’m doing.’ And it’s just so sad that it had to end this way for him,” said Kane.
He saw news of Tuesday’s crash and immediately called Smith.
“I got on the phone and I called Monroe’s number, and the phone was off. And to me, Monroe being the chief pilot over at [6ABC], I figured his phone should not be off. And right there, I got chills,” he said.
Kane was afraid of heights, but he knew he was in good hands when Smith was in the pilot’s seat.
Kane also remembers Dougherty as someone who was always willing to help, especially in recent years when he returned to the business.
Dougherty is survived by his wife and two daughters. Smith was a retired military pilot, and his son followed in his footsteps. He also had a new grandchild.
NTSB investigation
NTSB officials began combing through the scene Thursday morning and expect to be there for the next three days or so.
The debris field is about the size of a football field. There is a lot of physical evidence to examine on top of everything else that must be documented.
“And during that time period, we’re gonna be looking at the man, machine and environmental interface,” said Todd Gunther, the investigator in charge.
“We look at the pilot’s physiology,” Gunther continued. “We’ll also be looking at the history of the flights they did. We’ll be looking at the maintenance on the helicopter itself, and we’ll be looking at the facts, conditions, and circumstances surrounding the accident.”
Gunther says the aircraft hit at a very high speed and fragmented the wreckage path after striking the trees.
NTSB originally estimated the debris field was about 100 yards. On Friday, they said it was actually double that.
They said there were no signs of an explosion or in-flight fire before the plane crashed. It also reportedly did not lose power and the rotors were believed to be spinning.
There was no sign of an emergency call or may-day.
A preliminary report is expected about 10 to 15 days after the NTSB finishes up at the crash site. It will take up to a year and a half to finish the full report.