© 2026 ABC News

\"PHOTO:
WPVI
PHOTO: WPVI photographer Chris Dougherty and pilot Monroe Smith were killed in a helicopter crash on Dec. 19, 2023.
>

The pilot and photographer were returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore at the time of the crash, WPVI said. The station said they had been members of the news team for years.

The helicopter took off from northeast Philadelphia and flew to report on Christmas light activity, and then was returning back to Philadelphia when the crash occurred, said Todd Gunther, an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

\"PHOTO:
WPVI
PHOTO: A news helicopter, operated by an ABC Owned Television Station in Philadelphia, crashed Dec. 19, 2023 in a wooded area in southern New Jersey.
>

It was a clear, cold night and preliminary air traffic control data showed the helicopter was on course at the time of the accident, Gunther said.

The New Jersey State Park Service received reports that the helicopter was missing at 10:50 p.m., said George Fedorczyk, chief of the New Jersey State Park Police. At 12:02 a.m., an officer found a debris field, he said.

The debris field is approximately 100 yards long, according to Gunther.

\"PHOTO:
WPVI
PHOTO: A news helicopter, operated by an ABC Owned Television Station in Philadelphia, crashed Dec. 19, 2023 in a wooded area in southern New Jersey.
>

Witnesses who saw the chopper Tuesday night are being interviewed by investigators, Gunther said.

The NTSB's preliminary report is expected in 10 to 15 days, Gunther said. Eighteen months later, the NTSB will release a factual report, and one to two months after that, the safety board will release a statement on probable cause, Gunther said.

\"PHOTO:
WPVI
PHOTO: A news helicopter, operated by an ABC Owned Television Station in Philadelphia, crashed Dec. 19, 2023 in a wooded area in southern New Jersey.
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