A Philadelphia news pilot and photographer were killed when a helicopter crashed in New Jersey on Tuesday night.
Action News helicopter Chopper 6 went down in a wooded area in Wharton State Forest near Hammonton, New Jersey, just after 8 p.m., WPVI reported.
They were the only people aboard the seven-seat aircraft and were returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore.
New Jersey State Police found the wreckage deep in the forest, which spans 122,880 acres (192 square miles), just after midnight off Mullica River Road.
The site is very difficult to access due to its location in the woods, the station said.
The Wharton State Forest, New Jersey’s largest, is located in the Pinelands, the 1.1 million-acre (1,718-square-mile) ecosystem that makes up 22 percent of New Jersey.
The crash site is approximately 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia.
Videos from the ground and the air captured flames coming from the wreckage and as investigators scoured through the debris of the aircraft.
The identities of the photographer and pilot were not immediately known as families were being notified of the crash but the two were described as “veterans” with the outlet.
“They have a long history with our station and have been working as part of the Action News team for years,” the station said.
“Chopper 6 and those who fly it play an integral role in our newsgathering operations accessing areas that are difficult to reach by ground,” WPVI reporter Katherine Scott said near the crash site.
The station uses the helicopter for many different beats, covering weather, traffic and important news stories.
The helicopter was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR that WPVI leased through North Carolina-based US Helicopters Inc.
It was last seen airborne over the state forest at 8:03 p.m., according to FlightAware.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
This is a developing story.
