Monroe Smith: Who was 6ABC pilot?

A pilot and photographer killed in a crash involving a 6ABC helicopter were identified by the television station Wednesday afternoon.

The pilot was Monroe Smith, and the photographer was Christopher Dougherty, 6ABC said on its website.

The two were returning from the assignment at the Jersey Shore when the helicopter started to drop in altitude and then crashed, per WPVI.

Monroe Smith: Who was 6ABC pilot?

Monroe Smith was a veteran helicopter pilot in the Philadelphia news business who had previously flown for NBC10 and the LNS news service NBC10 once used.

Monroe Smith was 67-year-old

Pete Kane, a retired NBC10 photojournalist, worked with Smith for several years.

He called Smith a trailblazer and said he was one of the first African American helicopter pilots in the Philadelphia market.

“What we lost with losing Monroe in that chopper was someone who took care of what he had to do,” Kane said. “He made sure we were safe. He made sure he got that story for whatever he was going out for. What we lost was a great man. A great pilot. A wonderful human being and I lost a good friend.” 

“Everyone that knew him loved him because he was very soft-spoken, he was a listener, he enjoyed telling you what he did in the service, and he enjoyed doing what he did,” Kane said.

Kane not only worked with Smith, but they also graduated from Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin High School together in the same class.

Last year, the two attended their class’ 50th year reunion.