PICTURED: Pilot, Monroe Smith, and photographer, Christopher Dougherty, who died after 6ABC news helicopter crashed in New Jersey

A pilot and a photographer have been identified as the two individuals who died after a 6ABC news helicopter crashed in New Jersey. 

Pilot Monroe Smith, 67, and photographer Christopher Dougherty, 45, had been aboard the chopper when it crashed in the woods of Burlington County on Tuesday evening. 

The two men have had a long history with the Philadelphia station and had been working as part of the Action News team for years. 

The chopper came down at around 8pm near Quaker Bridge Atsion Road and Mullica Hill Road in Washington Township.

It was last airborne over Wharton State Forest, where it last recorded being just 75 feet above ground, according to NBC Philadelphia.

Photographer Christopher Dougherty (left) and Pilot Monroe Smith (right) and had been aboard the chopper when it crashed in a wooded area of Burlington County  Tuesday evening.

The two men have had a long history with the station and had been working as part of the Action News team for years

A Philadelphia news helicopter captured footage of the crash site, which is extremely difficult to access due to it being deep in the woods.

Officials were contacted about a missing chopper around 11pm Tuesday, a few hours before a state park police officer found a debris field.

The crash site is part of the Pinelands, a million-acre wilderness area that covers seven counties and is packed with dense woods and rivers.  

New Jersey State Police rushed to the scene to seal it off and the Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation.

New Jersey State Park Police Chief George Fedorczyk said the investigation was suspended overnight on Tuesday because of low visibility.

Fedorczyk said: 'Due to the remote location of the scene and the limited visibility, it was determined at that point that the investigation would be suspended until sometime after daybreak.

'Know that our thoughts are with the pilots, their families and the media community.' 

According to 6abc, an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board  will begin processing and documenting the scene on Thursday morning. 

Spokesperson Jennifer Gabris with the NTSB said: 'During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident.' 

New Jersey State Police rushed to the scene to seal it off and the Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation

According to 6abc , an investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board will begin processing and documenting the scene on Thursday morning

Another news helicopter has captured footage of the crash site, seen here, which is extremely difficult to access due to it being deep in the woods

The chopper was last airborne over Wharton State Forest at about 8pm on Tuesday evening

In a statement, 6ABC said: 'We are devastated by the news that two of our extended 6ABC family members were lost last night when Chopper 6 went down while returning from an assignment in the Jersey Shore.

'Our hearts break as we send our deepest condolences and prayers to their families, loved ones and everyone at US Helicopters.' 

NBC10 Philadelphia said in a statement: 'Our hearts are with the families of Monroe Smith and Christopher Dougherty.'

Reporter Katherine Scott said: 'Our hearts are just broken for these men. They're broken for their families.  We just can't believe this has happened.'

6abc had leased the helicopter, a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350, from U.S. Helicopters Inc in North Carolina. 

In a statement, the company said, 'We deeply sympathize with their families and share in their grief as a result of this tragic event. 

'We will share arrangements in accordance with the families' wishes. We will cooperate with the FAA and other authorities during their investigation and are still gathering information, so we cannot comment or provide further information on the cause of this tragedy.

It's unclear what caused the devastating crash at this time, with investigators now looking into the reasons

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of our cherished colleagues.'

Chopper 6 is used by the news team to access areas that are challenging to reach on the ground.

It helps with gathering news such as the weather and aerial shots following incidents on the road.

It comes just over a year after two employees at WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina, were killed in a horrific helicopter crash.

Meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag were found dead after the helicopter they were traveling in crashed along Interstate 77.