Update: Two Dead, One Injured in Monroe County Helicopter Crash (Noon Report)
By: Jeremy Deebel
Updated: October 11, 2012
UPDATE: Pilot William Ellsworth, of New Jersey and passenger Tighe Sullivan, of Connecticut, died in the crash. Stephen Barral, of New Jersey, taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment of critical injuries suffered in the wreck.
Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County-- Officials believe the helicopter was originally headed back to the New York City metropolitan area from a golf outing in Elmira, New York.
After dropping a passenger off in the Wilkes-Barre area, they believe the pilot was trying to land at Mount Pocono Airport because of the foggy, rainy weather conditions present here Tuesday night.
Officials lost radio contact with the helicopter around 8 Tuesday night.
Emergency responders used to cellphone G.P.S. technology to locate the wreckage, which they eventually found around 2 o'clock Wednesday morning.
Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Harry Lewis said, "Last night, the weather was very poor, the visibility was very poor. It was foggy, it was raining. We didn't have much information to go on."
The scene of the crash is just about 100 yards into the woods near Interstate 380 south in Coolbaugh Township-- between Tobyhanna and Mount Pocono.
Monroe County Coroner Bob Allen confirms the wreck left two men dead, a third was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated.
Allen explained, "I was told that he was talking to them. He had some injuries, but he was talking to them the whole time they brought him out. He was in the back seat, there's two people dead in the front."
An online search shows the helicopter is owned by ACS Helicopters LLC, based in Somerset County, New Jersey.
Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are handling the investigation.
Allen continued, "We cannot touch anything until the federal government gets here. Once a person is dead, It can't be touched until the federal government comes."
Emergency responders were able to locate the wreckage through G.P.S. technology from the passengers' cellphones.
Allen added, "The police were fortunate enough to have the federal government ping the phones that they had. They were able to ping the phones and come up with this location."
Interstate 380 southbound remains open in the area of the crash, but caution is being urged as emergency crews will likely be on scene throughout much of the day.
Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County-- Officials believe the helicopter was originally headed back to the New York City metropolitan area from a golf outing in Elmira, New York.
After dropping a passenger off in the Wilkes-Barre area, they believe the pilot was trying to land at Mount Pocono Airport because of the foggy, rainy weather conditions present here Tuesday night.
Officials lost radio contact with the helicopter around 8 Tuesday night.
Emergency responders used to cellphone G.P.S. technology to locate the wreckage, which they eventually found around 2 o'clock Wednesday morning.
Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Harry Lewis said, "Last night, the weather was very poor, the visibility was very poor. It was foggy, it was raining. We didn't have much information to go on."
The scene of the crash is just about 100 yards into the woods near Interstate 380 south in Coolbaugh Township-- between Tobyhanna and Mount Pocono.
Monroe County Coroner Bob Allen confirms the wreck left two men dead, a third was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated.
Allen explained, "I was told that he was talking to them. He had some injuries, but he was talking to them the whole time they brought him out. He was in the back seat, there's two people dead in the front."
An online search shows the helicopter is owned by ACS Helicopters LLC, based in Somerset County, New Jersey.
Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are handling the investigation.
Allen continued, "We cannot touch anything until the federal government gets here. Once a person is dead, It can't be touched until the federal government comes."
Emergency responders were able to locate the wreckage through G.P.S. technology from the passengers' cellphones.
Allen added, "The police were fortunate enough to have the federal government ping the phones that they had. They were able to ping the phones and come up with this location."
Interstate 380 southbound remains open in the area of the crash, but caution is being urged as emergency crews will likely be on scene throughout much of the day.
