News Helicopter Crash Kills Chopper Pilot and Photographer

A helicopter owned by Philadelphia-based Action News crashed into a wooded area of Burlington County, in New Jersey, on Tuesday night, killing its pilot and a photographer on board.

The aircraft, Action News helicopter Chopper 6, was returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore when it went down sometime after 8 p.m. local time in the area of Quaker Bridge Atsion Road and Middle Road in Washington Township, killing all crew on board, according to 6abc.

It’s not known what assignment the two were on at the time of the crash, but they were the only news team members aboard the 7-seat helicopter.

The pilot and photographer, whose identities have not been revealed to the public as their families are informed of the deadly crash, were both members of the company’s news team. The two “have a long history with our station and have been working as part of the Action News team for years,” according to 6abc.

Action News’ helicopter Chopper 6 (pictured) crashed in woodland in New Jersey, killing two crew members, the station has said.
WPVI/ 6 ABC

The site of the crash was extremely hard to access due to its location in the woods, according to 6abc, but was identified by Jersey State Police troopers around midnight off Mulica River Road. The Wharton State Forest, the largest in New Jersey, covers a total of 122,880 acres. The crash site is reportedly approximately 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia.

An investigation was opened into the incident, as it’s still unknown what caused the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are in charge of the investigation.

The wreckage was filmed by another helicopter from a fellow Philadelphia television station.

The Chopper 6 was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, which 6abc leases from U.S. Helicopter Inc., a company based in North Carolina. The news company confirmed that U.S. Helicopter Inc. had been in touch with the families of the two victims.

Responding to a request for comment by Newsweek, the FAA wrote: “The wreckage of a Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopter was located northeast of Hammonton, New Jersey, around 1:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Two people were on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.”

The NTSB told Newsweek in a written statement that its investigations will focus on three primary areas: “the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.” The board said it does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident during the investigation.

“A preliminary report will be available within 30 days; it can be accessed by searching our investigations database. We will also tweet the link on NTSB Newsroom,” NTSB wrote. “The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.”

Newsweek contacted U.S. Helicopter Inc. for comment by email on Wednesday.

According to 6abc, the company used the Chopper 6 for “accessing areas that are difficult to reach by ground, giving us everything from weather and beauty shots, traffic backups, and important information about news of the day.”

6abc called Tuesday “a devastating day” for the Action News team.

Update 12/20/23, 7:30 a.m. ET: This breaking news article was updated to include more details on the crash.

Update 12/21/23, 3:55 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from the FAA and NTSB.