6abc Helicopter Crash: NTSB arrives to investigate wreckage of crashed news chopper
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Federal investigators will overview a 100-yard-long debris field left by a deadly Philadelphia news helicopter crash that claimed the lives of two aboard.
Todd Gunther from the National Transportation Safety Board said a team of eight will spend three days investigating the crash and release a report in 10-15 days later.
Officials say a 6 ABC Action News helicopter was on its way back from an assignment at the shore Tuesday night when it crashed in Wharton State Forest.
The pilot, 67-year-old Monroe Smith, and photojournalist Christopher Dougherty, 45, both died in the crash.
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Gunter told reporters Thursday morning that investigators will examine the crashed choppers' mechanical systems, including rotor, transmission, and maneuverability.
They will also look into the physiology of the pilot, weather conditions at the time of the crash, and other flights that the ill-fated helicopter took that day.
Gunter said there were some people who witnessed the crash who will be interviewed as part of the investigation.