The inquiry will focus on how a landing Cessna and a state police training helicopter came into contact near a runway.
CARLISLE, Pa. — Federal aviation investigators were working Thursday to determine how a small airplane and a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter collided at Carlisle Airport, killing the airplane’s pilot and injuring two troopers during a police training exercise.
The investigation follows the Aug. 19 collision involving a Cessna 150 and a Bell 407 helicopter shortly before 7 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating, while state police have secured video and photographs that officials say may help reconstruct the aircraft movements. One central question is how the two aircraft came together near a runway at an airport that operates without an air traffic control tower.
Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens said the helicopter crew was conducting routine training and was hovering several feet above a grassy area beside a runway. The Cessna was approaching from behind and was lined up to land before it veered to the right and struck the rear of the helicopter, according to the preliminary account Bivens gave Wednesday night.
The impact damaged the helicopter’s rotor system and sent it to the ground, where it came to rest partly on its roof, Bivens said. The Cessna crashed nearby and broke apart. Investigators had not announced a cause by Thursday, and the state police description of the aircraft positions remains subject to review as federal investigators gather evidence.
The NTSB initially characterized the event as a midair collision. State police later issued a statement saying the helicopter was on the ground when it was struck. Authorities have not publicly reconciled those descriptions, making the exact position of the helicopter at the moment of impact one of the details investigators must establish.
Carlisle Airport has no control tower directing local aircraft traffic. Pilots instead monitor and communicate over a shared radio frequency. Officials said investigators will examine communications on that frequency as part of the inquiry. Such evidence could help establish what the pilots knew about other aircraft operating near the runway before the collision.
The Cessna’s sole occupant, Paul Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey, died in the crash, the Cumberland County Coroner’s Office said Thursday. An autopsy is scheduled for next week. No other person was aboard the airplane.
The helicopter pilots, Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were injured but expected to survive. Gov. Josh Shapiro met with the troopers and their families after the crash. State police said the crew was based in Harrisburg and belonged to the agency’s aviation operation.
The FAA was at the scene Wednesday night, and NTSB investigators arrived overnight. Along with communications and available imagery, investigators are expected to document the wreckage and examine evidence needed to establish the sequence of the collision. No official finding has been released about why the Cessna changed course near the helicopter.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have not announced when preliminary findings will be released. The cause of the collision remains undetermined as federal investigators continue collecting and reviewing evidence from Carlisle Airport.
Author note: Last updated August 20, 2026.