Search For Chopper Parts Continues Days After South Brunswick Crash

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – A week after a helicopter crashed in South Brunswick, investigation continues.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board continue to investigate the crash.

Firefighters from Kingston and Princeton have been wading through the water body in search of helicopter parts.

South Brunswick Office of Emergency Management (OEM) has coordinating with Princeton OEM and the New Jersey State Police on search efforts.

A helicopter pilot was killed after his craft crashed in South Brunswick at the border of Princeton on Aug. 31.

The pilot, Josef Yitzhak, 44, of Israel, had suffered severe injuries and life-saving efforts were not possible. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Yitzhak used to fly for an airline overseas and got here last week. He was supposed to be in New Jersey for 10 days, according to Aaron McCarter, Air Safety Investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He was working to get an add-on to his commercial certificate.

Authorities have solicited doorbell cameras and witness photographs for their investigation. All the information will be compiled to determine what caused the crash.

In five to 10 days a preliminary report will be released that will have the basic information on the pilot, like his qualifications, experience, how often he flew, etc., McCarter said.

The entire process to determine the cause of the crash could take upwards of a year, he said.

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