OUR DEVELOPING STORY. >> CHOPPER SIX CRASHED IN A REMOTE SECTION OF THE WOODS IN BURLINGTON COUNTY THAT'S IN THE NEW JERSEY PINELANDS. THE NTSB NOW LEADING THE INVESTIGATION. THE CREW MEMBERS WHO WERE KILLED HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH OUR STATION. >> THEY'VE BEEN WORKING AS PART OF THE ACTION NEWS TEAM FOR YEARS. ACTION NEWS REPORTER CHAD PADELLI IS LIVE NOW AT NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT THAT SERVES AS BASE FOR CHOPPER SIX. CHAD, YOU HAVE THE LATEST FROM THERE. >> YES, SIR. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THEM, TELLS US INVESTIGATORS ARE IN ROUTE WHEN THEY WILL ARRIVE IS UNCLEAR, BUT NOW BEGINS THE LENGTHY INVESTIGATION INTO THIS CRASH. IN THIS 6 ABC FLIGHT TRACKER, YOU CAN SEE THE SPEED AND ALTITUDE OF THE CHOPPER'S FINAL MOMENTS IN FLIGHT. IT HAD TAKEN OFF FROM ITS BASE HERE AT PHILADELPHIA NORTHEAST AIRPORT BEFORE 7:30 P.M. OUR CREW FLEW TO AN ASSIGNMENT NEAR GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY, AROUND 8 P.M. YOU SEE THE FIRST DIP IN ALTITUDE AND SPEED. THREE MINUTES LATER, WHILE RETURNING HOME, YOU SEE THE CHOPPER'S ALTITUDE DROP AGAIN. THE NTSB INVESTIGATION WILL INVOLVE THREE COMPONENTS THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT. ANYTHING THAT DOCUMENTS THE CONDITION OF THE HELICOPTER THAT INCLUDES MAINTENANCE RECORDS, THAT INCLUDES FLIGHT LOGS, THAT INCLUDES, UH, PILOT TRAINING RECORDS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN DOWN TO THE MINUTIA OF, UH, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED AND WHO FUELED IT? >> FORMER NAVY PILOT AND AVIATION ATTORNEY JOHN GAGLIANO SAYS UNLIKE COMMERCIAL AIRLINES, HELICOPTERS DON'T HAVE SO-CALLED BLACK BOXES. >> BUT MANY DO HAVE DATA MEMORY CARDS. IT'S UNCLEAR IF THE AMERICAN EUROCOPTER AS350 B2 DID. HE SAYS. NTSB RECORDS SHOW THIS MODEL OF HELICOPTER HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN 57 FATAL CRASHES SINCE 1988. >> THERE WAS A CRASH OF THIS MODEL HELICOPTER IN 2018, AND IT WAS, UH, CAUSED BY, ACCORDING TO THE NTSB, BE, UH, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE ENGINE FAILURE. >> AND A BAD PLACEMENT OF A FUEL SHUT OFF LEVEL. >> THE NTSB SAYS A COMPLETE INVESTIGATION WILL LIKELY TAKE OVER A YEAR, BUT A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION WILL LIKELY BE RELEASED WITHIN A MONTH. >> SOMETIMES ARE REALLY IN DEPTH AND SOMETIMES TIMES THEY'RE REALLY NOT IN DEPTH AT ALL. >> AND THE NTSB TELLS ACTION NEWS THAT WRECKAGE WILL BE TAKEN TO A SECURE LOCATION TO HELP FURTHER THIS INVESTIGATION. LIVE IN NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA, CHAD PRADELLI, CHANNEL SIX ACTION NEWS SARAH CHAD, THANK YOU. >> WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS TRAGEDY AND BRING YOU THE LATEST INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW
