Pilot Killed After Small Plane Collides With Police Helicopter During Training Exercise

A pilot was killed and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were injured after a small aircraft collided with a state police helicopter during a training exercise at Carlisle Airport on Wednesday evening.

The Cessna 150, piloted by 57-year-old Paul Sokoloski of Hershey, was approaching the airport to land when it suddenly veered to the right and struck the rear section of a Bell 407 helicopter that was hovering over a grassy area alongside the runway.

The impact destroyed the helicopter’s main rotor blades and tail boom, causing both aircraft to crash to the ground. Sokoloski, the sole occupant of the Cessna, was killed at the scene.

The two state police pilots aboard the helicopter, Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were trapped briefly inside the overturned aircraft but managed to escape. Both sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment before being released.

Video footage of the collision circulating online shows the Cessna approaching from behind and striking the helicopter before both aircraft broke apart, scattering debris across the airport grounds.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash. Officials said the helicopter crew may not have been able to see the approaching aircraft and noted that Carlisle Airport does not have a control tower.

Investigators are expected to examine the flight paths of both aircraft, communications, airport procedures and weather conditions as they work to determine what caused the fatal mid-air collision.