A Cessna 150 pilot was killed after the aircraft collided with a hovering Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter during a training exercise near Carlisle Regional Airport in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The helicopter was carrying two state troopers, both of whom survived with injuries that authorities expect will not be life-threatening. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with support from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Authorities identified the pilot as Paul Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey. Pennsylvania State Police said the helicopter was conducting routine training and was hovering low near the runway when the Cessna, attempting to land, veered right and struck it from behind. One of the injured troopers had already been released from hospital, while the other remained in stable condition.
Investigators are reviewing airport communications, runway-approach procedures and the circumstances at the small field, which does not have a control tower. The collision happened during the evening and prompted a federal probe into the sequence of events leading up to the crash.