A midair crash Wednesday evening between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane left the airplane’s pilot dead and two state troopers injured, authorities said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said a Bell 407 helicopter and a Cessna 150 collided at about 7:50 p.m. near Carlisle Airport in central Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens said the helicopter had been carrying out routine training near a grassy area at the airport, which is located roughly 120 miles west of Philadelphia, when the collision happened.
A Bell 407 helicopter and a Cessna 150 were involved in a midair collision around 7:50 p.m. in central Pennsylvania. (WPMT)
“The Cessna plane, for an unknown reason, veered to the right at the last moment, struck the helicopter from the rear, hit the tail rotor and the main rotor, resulting in a violent crash,” Bivens said during a news briefing.
Investigators are still working to determine what led up to the collision, and federal officials have not yet identified a probable cause.
Bivens said the lone person aboard the plane was killed in the crash.
“The one known occupant of the Cessna did not survive the crash. We believe only the pilot was in the Cessna,” he said.
The one person inside the plane died in the incident. (WPMT)
Both state troopers inside the helicopter were initially trapped before being able to get out. They were injured and transported to a hospital but are expected to recover, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro.
“I’m pleased to say that after an aviation accident, two Pennsylvania State Troopers, while injured, are going to be okay,” he said at the news briefing.
The two state troopers were injured and transported to a hospital but are expected to recover. (WPMT)
“Lori and I are praying hard and we ask all of our fellow Pennsylvanians to join us,” the governor wrote earlier on social media.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, with the FAA assisting.
