A pilot and a photographer for WPVI-TV, a Philadelphia ABC affiliate, died Tuesday in a helicopter crash near Washington Township, New Jersey.
The helicopter went down at around 8 p.m. in Wharton State Forest as the two men returned from the Jersey Shore, WPVI reported.
Forest officials got word of the missing aircraft at 11 p.m., New Jersey State Park Police Chief George Fedorczyk said at a press conference. Debris was found in a remote part of the area just after midnight.
A Federal Aviation Administration representative arrived at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday to check the wreckage, but it was too dark. Chief Fedorczyk said an assessment was scheduled for after daybreak.
The overall investigation into the crash will be led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The victims’ names were withheld from the public pending family notification.
“Our thoughts are with the pilots, their families and the media community,” Chief Fedorczyk said.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wrote on X, “Our deepest condolences go out to the Action News family following last night’s helicopter crash in Wharton State Forest.”
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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