Dramatic newly released video captures the instant a small airplane slammed into a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter at Carlisle Regional Airport, a deadly midair-ground collision officials described as a “very violent crash” that killed the plane’s pilot and injured two troopers.
The footage shows the helicopter hovering just above the tarmac Wednesday evening when a Cessna 150 suddenly enters the frame and crashes into the aircraft, scattering wreckage from both the plane and helicopter across the airport grounds.
Authorities identified the Cessna pilot as Paul Sokoloski, 57, an emergency room physician from Hershey, Pennsylvania. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the two state troopers inside the helicopter escaped with only minor injuries.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, the helicopter crew was conducting a “hover taxi” maneuver near a runway shortly before 7 p.m. when the fatal collision unfolded.
“As that Cessna came down along that runway, for an unknown reason, it veered hard to the right at the last moment,” acting Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens said.
“It struck the helicopter from the rear. The pilots would not have been able to even see that airplane approaching them.”
Bivens said the small plane first hit the helicopter’s rear tail rotor before moving into the main rotor, creating the catastrophic impact seen in the video.
Aaron McCarter, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator in charge, said both aircraft crews had been in radio contact and knew the other was operating in the area before the crash.
“The Cessna came in, straight and level, suddenly increased its pitch, severe nose up, did a left turn, leveled off again, and then flew into the back of the helicopter,” McCarter said.
“Right now we don’t know the details of why the pilot was flying… in that manner, but we are going to find out.”
Witness Lloyd Slusser said he hasn’t been able to get the horrible sounds of the impact out of his head.
“What is sticking in my mind, it was the crash, the loud sounds more than anything, just because it was so loud, it was kind of shocking.”
In a statement, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said of the crash, “tonight could have been much worse for our state police family. Thank God that it wasn’t.”
