BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ – A news helicopter met a tragic end Tuesday night in a remote area of Burlington County, New Jersey, claiming the lives of a pilot and a photographer. The chopper, returning from a Jersey Shore assignment, was associated with WPVI-TV, a Philadelphia-based ABC affiliate.
The identities of the victims are currently withheld as the process of informing their families is underway. Both victims were seasoned employees at the news station, as per the reports.
The fatal incident took place after 8 p.m., near the crossroads of Quaker Bridge Atsion Road and Mullica Hill Road in Washington Township. Before the accident, the helicopter was last seen flying over Wharton State Forest.
New Jersey State Police were the first to locate the crash site. The helicopter, a model of the 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, was leased to WPVI-TV by North Carolina’s U.S. Helicopters Inc.
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined. The Federal Aviation Administration has taken up the task of investigating the incident.