Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and small plane collide midair

A midair collision between a Cessna 150 and a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter occurred near Carlisle Airport on Wednesday evening. The accident happened while the helicopter was conducting routine training maneuvers, including a “hover taxi” near a grassy area adjacent to the runway.

According to authorities, the Cessna veered sharply to the right during its landing approach and struck the rear of the helicopter. The impact was described as “very violent,” causing the Cessna to disintegrate and the helicopter to lose its rotor blades and tail boom before landing on its side.

The pilot of the Cessna, identified as 57-year-old Paul Sokoloski, a flight instructor and emergency medicine physician for Penn State Health, was killed in the crash. Two Pennsylvania State Police troopers, Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were injured and initially trapped in the helicopter wreckage. Both were treated at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and were reported to be in stable condition.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting a joint investigation to determine the exact cause of the collision.