A Small Plane and a Police Helicopter Crash in Midair at a Pennsylvania Airport

A small plane crashed into a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter in midair on Wednesday at a small airport in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, about 110 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The crash killed the pilot of the plane and injured two state troopers who were inside the helicopter. Federal investigators are now working to find out exactly what went wrong and why the accident happened.

The plane, a Cessna 150, was trying to land when it suddenly moved to the side and hit the back of the police helicopter. The helicopter, a Bell 407, was hovering above a grassy area next to the runway as part of a training exercise. The Cessna struck the helicopter's tail, and both aircraft broke apart and fell to the ground.

Aaron McCarter, the lead investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), held a news conference on Thursday. He said many people had already seen videos of the crash posted online. 'It's very dramatic. That shows the collision. We see the outcome, but we want to understand why it happened,' McCarter said. The NTSB is the federal agency responsible for looking into serious transportation accidents.

McCarter said investigators will study the wreckage, review the actions of both pilots, and look at the conditions at the airport at the time of the crash. One important detail is that the airport had no control tower, so no one on the ground was directing air traffic. Instead, pilots use a shared radio frequency to talk to each other and share their positions.

McCarter said there is strong evidence that the Cessna pilot knew the helicopter was hovering nearby. However, investigators are not sure whether the pilot could actually see the helicopter or whether something was blocking his view. The Cessna pilot had also done some maintenance work on his plane before takeoff, but investigators do not yet know if there was a mechanical problem.

The pilot of the Cessna was identified as Paul William Sokoloski, 57 years old, according to the Cumberland County Coroner's Office. He was the only person on board the small plane. McCarter was careful to say it is too early to blame either pilot. 'I have no information at all to tell me either pilot of either vehicle was at fault,' he said.

The two troopers in the helicopter were Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills. The crash was so violent that the helicopter lost its blades and tail section and flipped onto its side. Both troopers were trapped inside until one pushed out a window and helped the other escape through it. They were both airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

By Thursday, Corporal Corman had been released from the hospital, and Trooper Mills was recovering with a good prognosis, meaning doctors expect him to be okay. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro shared the update on Thursday. Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens, the state's acting police commissioner, summed up the power of the crash the night before: 'When I say it was a very violent crash, that plane was cut into a lot of pieces.'