WPVI-TV’s Chopper 6 Crashes in Burlington County, NJ; 2 Killed

6ABC's news helicopter, Chopper 6, crashed Tuesday night in Wharton State Forest in Burlington County killing two people who were on board.

A pilot and a photographer from their news team were in the aircraft when it went down at around 8 PM while returning from an assignment near the Smithville section of Galloway Township.

According to NBC 10, authorities were first contacted about a missing helicopter around 10:50 PM. Just minutes after midnight, a state park police officer found debris several hundred feet off of Mullica River Road in Washington Township.

Around 3:15 early this morning, an investigator with the FAA arrived for "an initial assessment."

The identities of the two who were killed have not yet been released, however, the station said both were long-time employees.

WPVI-TV said on its website,

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.

Video showed pieces of the wreckage:

The helicopter was reported to be a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, which the station leased from North Carolina-based U.S. Helicopters, Inc.

NBC 10, citing online flight data, said the helicopter departed Northeast Philadelphia Airport, flew down to Galloway Township, and was headed back toward the Philadelphia area when it crashed.

This is a developing story that will be updated when more information becomes available.