(ProsperNews.net) – A news helicopter crashed in New Jersey, killing the pilot and a photographer. Pilot Monroe Smith and photographer Christopher Dougherty died when their WPVI-TV chopper went down in the remote Wharton State Forest in Hammonton while returning from an assignment in the Garden State. A statement from the Philadelphia-based television channel said 67-year-old Smith and 45-year-old Dougherty had worked for the outlet for many years.
Colleague Katherine Scott, reporting from the scene, said, “Our hearts are just broken for these men. They’re broken for their families.”
New Jersey police located the helicopter a day after the crash when they received a report that the chopper was missing. New Jersey State Park Police Chief George Fedorczyk said the rugged nature of the area would make investigations challenging, and the National Transportation Safety Board would conduct the inquiries. Investigator Todd Gunther said he expects to prepare a preliminary report within 10 to 15 days. However, “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.”
At a press conference near the crash site, Mr. Gunther said he had received reports from witnesses saying the helicopter appeared to “have problems” immediately before the accident, and he had obtained maintenance records but could not yet say when it was last inspected. He added that his inquiries will focus on the chopper, its condition, the pilot, and the surrounding environment.
WPVI-TV told reporters it leases its helicopters from North Carolina-based US Helicopters Inc., but the company would not comment on the crash.
Statistics show that helicopter flight is more dangerous than an airplane but less so than driving a car. The last time a news chopper was involved in a fatal crash was back in 2007, when two helicopters from KNXV-TV and KTVK-TV collided in the sky over Phoenix, Arizona, while covering a police car chase. Two pilots and two photographers died in that incident.
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