PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) – It has been a devastating day for the Action News team after two crew members on board Chopper 6 were killed in a crash on Tuesday night.

A pilot and a photographer were in the helicopter when it went down in Washington Township, New Jersey around 8 p.m. They were returning from an assignment at the Jersey Shore.

For now, we are not releasing the names of the crew members who died because family members are still being notified about the crash.

They have a long history with our station and have been working as part of the Action News team for years.

“Our hearts are just broken for these men. They’re broken for their families,” reporter Katherine Scott said during a report on Action News. “We just can’t believe this has happened.”

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

New Jersey State Park Police say a debris field was located shortly after midnight a few hundred yards from Mullica River Road, in the area of Middle Road and Quaker Bridge Atsion Road.

Chopper 6 was last airborne over Wharton State Forest when it crashed in a remote section of the woods.

The area is part of the New Jersey Pinelands, a million-acre wilderness area that stretches across more than seven counties and features dense woods, rivers and rare plant species.

The National Transportation Safety Board arrived at the crash site at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday and took control of the investigation.

“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,” said Chief George Fedorczyk of the New Jersey State Park Police. “Know that our thoughts are with the pilots, their families and the media community.”

A helicopter from a fellow Philadelphia television station captured video of the wreckage.

State park police say Quaker Bridge Road, Mullica River Road and Middle Road – all unpaved local roads within the forest – were closed as the investigation continues.

Chopper 6 was a 2013 American Eurocopter AS-350A-STAR, which 6abc leases from U.S. Helicopters Inc. based in North Carolina.

We do know that U.S. Helicopters Inc. has been in touch with the families.

How the NTSB will investigate the Chopper 6 crash

A spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board told Action News that investigators will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the helicopter on Wednesday.

The helicopter will then be taken to a secure facility for evaluation.

“NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment,” said spokesperson Jennifer Gabris.

The information and records the NTSB will examine include flight track data, air traffic control communications, maintenance records, weather conditions, the pilot’s license and flight experience, a 72-hour background check of the pilot, witness statements, and potential information from electronic devices and any available surveillance video – including doorbell cameras.

“During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident,” Grabis said.

A preliminary report will be available within 30 days.

The important role of Chopper 6 at Action News

Chopper 6 and those who fly in it play an integral role in our news-gathering operation, accessing areas that are difficult to reach by ground, giving us everything from weather and beauty shots, traffic backups, and important information about news of the day.

The first helicopter to serve as Chopper 6 launched in February 1980.

It was the first TV news helicopter in Philadelphia.

Thank you from Action News for your support

We want to thank all of you for your words of comfort and your condolences as we mourn the loss of our colleagues.

Your outpouring of support is overwhelming, and we are grateful.

“Absolutely heartbreaking. Prayers for their families and their work family as well,” Rosaline Rosa wrote on the Action News Facebook page.

“Thoughts and prayers to the families, friends and coworkers,” wrote Carolyn Brady.

Stay with Action News and 6abc.com as this story develops.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.