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Police helicopter collision kills 1 near Carlisle
A Cessna pilot died after colliding with a Pennsylvania State Police training helicopter near Carlisle Airport.
What happened
A small plane collided with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter near Carlisle Airport on Wednesday evening. The plane’s pilot died, while two troopers aboard the helicopter were injured. The helicopter was conducting a training exercise. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the collision.
Numbers
- 1 deadPilot killed in the collision — The plane’s sole occupant
- 2 injuredTroopers hurt aboard helicopter — Both are expected to recover
Questions
- Who was the pilot?
- The coroner identified him as Dr Paul Sokoloski of Hershey, an emergency-medicine physician and certified flight instructor in Pennsylvania.
- Was anyone else aboard the plane?
- State police identified Sokoloski as the plane’s sole occupant, resolving an earlier question over whether another person was aboard.
- How did the troopers leave?
- Both were trapped until one pushed out a window and helped the other through it, according to the acting police commissioner.
- Why are radio exchanges relevant?
- The NTSB confirmed that the pilots were communicating before impact, part of the known sequence investigators are examining to determine the cause.
- What is the troopers’ outlook?
- Governor Josh Shapiro identified Cpl Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills and stated that both are expected to recover.
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The catch
Investigators have not determined what caused the collision or whether any operational error contributed.
The NTSB investigation is ongoing.