Deadly Midair Collision Between Small Plane And Police Helicopter Leaves Pilot Dead

A pilot was killed and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were injured Wednesday evening when a small airplane collided with a police helicopter during a training exercise at Carlisle Regional Airport.

The deadly collision happened shortly before 7 p.m. on August 19 as a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter was hovering several feet above a grassy area next to a runway. A Cessna 150 was approaching the runway when it suddenly veered to the right and struck the helicopter from behind, according to Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens.

The Cessna struck both the tail rotor and main rotor of the helicopter, sending both aircraft crashing to the ground. Bivens described the impact as a “very violent crash,” saying the small plane was torn apart while the helicopter lost its blades and tail boom before rolling onto its side and partially onto its roof.

Authorities on Thursday identified the Cessna pilot as 57-year-old Paul Sokoloski of Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Cumberland County Coroner’s Office said Sokoloski died in the crash and was the only person aboard the plane. An autopsy is expected to be performed next week.

A Cessna 150H collided with a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407GX helicopter at Carlisle Airport on Wednesday.

The helicopter was conducting a routine training exercise and had landed on the runway. The Cessna was landing after the helicopter and struck it from the rear.

The… pic.twitter.com/WDPAhyLC69

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) August 20, 2026

The two troopers aboard the helicopter were identified as Corporal Pilot Bryce Corman and Trooper Pilot Jason Mills. Both men initially became trapped inside the wreckage after the helicopter came down. Corman was eventually able to push out a window and then help Mills, who appeared to have more significant bleeding, escape through the opening.

Both troopers were transported to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where doctors said they were in stable condition with minor injuries. One was expected to potentially be released Wednesday night while the other was admitted for observation.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro traveled to the hospital and met with Corman, Mills and their families following the crash.

Yesterday at approximately 7:50 p.m. local time, a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter, N873ST, collided with another, as yet unidentified Cessna 150 aircraft while operating at Carlisle Airport in Carlisle, PA just west of Harrisburg.

The collision killed the sole… pic.twitter.com/BXBv5UAz4F

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 20, 2026

“Tonight could have been much worse,” Shapiro said during a news conference. The governor said he expressed the gratitude of Pennsylvanians to the troopers and praised the emergency personnel and medical teams who responded after the collision.

Investigators are now trying to determine why the Cessna suddenly moved into the helicopter’s path. Bivens said the helicopter pilots would not have been able to see the airplane approaching them from behind before the impact.

Carlisle Regional Airport does not have an air traffic control tower. Pilots instead communicate over a shared radio frequency, and authorities confirmed there had been communication on that frequency before the crash. Investigators are expected to examine those transmissions along with video and photographs obtained from the scene.

The Federal Aviation Administration arrived at the airport Wednesday night, while investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived overnight. The NTSB is leading the investigation into the collision with assistance from the FAA and Pennsylvania State Police.

No official cause has been announced.