The pilot who died Wednesday evening in what officials described as a “violent” midair collision between a small aircraft and a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter has been identified as a longtime emergency room physician, as newly released video shows the terrifying crash.
Dr. Paul William Sokoloski was the pilot of the Cessna 150 involved in the fatal collision at Carlisle Airport in Cumberland County, the county Coroner’s Office confirmed.
Sokoloski had spent almost 30 years in emergency medicine and previously served as an assistant professor at the Penn State College of Medicine, according to information listed on his LinkedIn profile.
The 57-year-old doctor had most recently been part of Penn State Health, which described him as “a valued member of our emergency medicine team” in a statement obtained by WFMZ.
“The Penn State Health community is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Paul Sokoloski,” the health system said in the statement.
“We are focused on supporting Dr. Sokoloski’s loved ones and the members of our care teams who worked alongside him and are grieving his passing.”
Before building his career in emergency care, Sokoloski served with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard as part of its security police force.
Authorities said Sokoloski was the only person aboard the small plane when it crashed, and records indicate he held a commercial pilot’s license.
The two Pennsylvania State Police chopper pilots involved in the deadly collision, Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were airlifted from the scene and are expected to recover, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday.
Corman was discharged from the hospital and Mills remains hospitalized with a good prognosis, Shapiro said.
Harrowing footage of what the Pennsylvania State Police called a “very violent crash” began circulating online Thursday.
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The small private jet appears to be battling against wake turbulence or rotor wash before crashing into the state police helicopter hovering a few feet off the ground, according to an X account that posted the video.
The footage shows the Cessna struck the tail of the hovering chopper, which resulted in an explosion of dust and aircraft debris, before crashing nearby.
“When I say it was a very violent crash, that plane was cut into a lot of pieces,” Lt. Col. George Bivens, the state’s acting police commissioner, said during a late-night press conference Wednesday.
Aaron McCarter, investigator-in-charge with the National Transportation Safety Board, said Thursday that there is no immediate explanation for the fatal collision.
“Many of you have all seen the videos that have turned up online. It’s very dramatic,” McCarter said.
“That shows the collision. We see the outcome. But we want to understand why it happened.”
McCarter stressed that it’s early in the probe but said the wreckage from the crash will be analyzed and the aircraft, the actions of the pilots and the environment at the time will all be examined.
Both pilots were flight instructors and communication was established between flight crews prior to the collision, according to the NTSB investigator.
“I have no information at all to tell me either pilot of either vehicle was at fault,” McCarter said, adding that evidence suggests Sokoloski was made aware of the state police chopper hovering nearby.
“I can’t tell you whether or not his visual acuity or whether or not the helicopter was blocked from view,” the investigator said.
McCarter said Sokoloski was doing maintenance on his plane before the flight — but it is not yet known if his Cessna was dealing with any mechanical issues.
The investigator added that the flight path of the small airplane was unusual and they are investigating why the plane flew in that direction before making a hard turn.
With Post wires
