Action News’ Chopper 6 crashes in wooded area of New Jersey; pilot and photographer killed
An investigation is underway after Action News’ helicopter Chopper 6 crashed in a wooded area of Burlington County, New Jersey on Tuesday night.
A pilot and a photographer from the news team were in the helicopter when it went down while returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore.
Both crew members were killed.
We are not releasing the names of the crew members right now as family members are still being notified about the crash.
The team had been working as part of the Action News team for years.
The crash happened sometime after 8 p.m. in the area of Quaker Bridge Atsion Road and Middle Road in Washington Township.
The helicopter was last airborne over Wharton State Forest when it crashed. New Jersey State Police troopers were able to locate the crash site on the ground. It is very hard to access due to its location in the woods.
A helicopter from a fellow Philadelphia television station captured video of the wreckage.
The helicopter was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, which 6abc leases from U.S. Helicopters Inc. based in North Carolina.
We do know that U.S. Helicopters Inc. has been in touch with the families.
Chopper 6 and those who fly in it play an integral role in our news-gathering operation, 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.
It’s still unclear what caused the crash.
The FAA has been notified and will be investigating.
The first helicopter to serve as Chopper 6 launched in February of 1980. It was the first TV news helicopter in Philadelphia.