The Two Killed in the Chopper Crash

WPVI has released the names of the two people killed when the station’s chopper crashed on Tuesday night.

The pilot was 67-year-old Monroe Smith of Glenside, Pa. and the photographer was 45-year-old Christopher Dougherty of Oreland, Pa.

WPVI writes on its website, “They have a long history with our station and have been working as part of the Action News team for years.”

Reading between the lines, it appears that neither person was employed by WPVI but worked as contractors with U.S. Helicopters Inc. based in North Carolina. 

This is not uncommon, as many large stations, especially ABC-O&Os, where the pilot and photographer are actually employees of the contractor providing the helicopter. It’s been that way since union contracts allowed it to happen.

The NTSB was at the crash site yesterday in a very wooded part of New Jersey.

WPVI reports that the chopper took off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport before 7:30 p.m. and the crew flew to an assignment near Galloway Township, New Jersey.

Flight tracker data shows the helicopter's altitude dropping while returning to Philadelphia. Chopper 6 was last airborne over Wharton State Forest before it crashed in a remote section of the woods.

Preliminary findings on what caused the crash should be available in about a month. The full report could take up to a year.