Full Breakdown
Midair Collision at Carlisle Regional Airport Claims One Life, Injuries Two State Police Troopers
8/21/2026, 11:58:13 AM
Core Event
On August 19 a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter collided with a Cessna 150 at Carlisle Regional Airport in Cumberland County. The helicopter was hovering a few feet above a grassy area adjacent to the runway during a routine training exercise when the Cessna, attempting to land, veered sharply right and struck the helicopter’s rear tail rotor before hitting the main rotor. The impact caused the helicopter to lose its blades and tail boom, roll inverted, and come to rest on its side. The Cessna broke into multiple pieces and the sole occupant, pilot Paul William Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey, was killed. Two state troopers aboard the helicopter—Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills—were trapped but escaped with minor injuries.
Background & Context
Carlisle Regional Airport is a small public-use field with a single 4,000-foot runway and no control tower; pilots coordinate movements on a shared radio frequency. The crash occurred amid heightened scrutiny of mixed helicopter-airplane airspace following a 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Data & Statistics
- Aircraft: Bell 407 police helicopter; Cessna 150 trainer.
- Fatalities: 1 (pilot Paul William Sokoloski).
- Injuries: 2 (Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, Level 1 trauma patients).
- Time of collision: reports vary between 6:52 p.m., about 7 p.m., and 7:50 p.m.
Official Statements & Responses
Acting Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. George Bivens called the event “very violent,” noting the helicopter crew could not see the approaching airplane. Governor Josh Shapiro expressed relief that the outcome was not worse and offered prayers for the families. Dr. Ashley Ludwig, trauma medical director at Hershey Medical Center, confirmed the troopers were stable after Level 1 trauma activations. The FAA and NTSB opened parallel investigations, with the FAA noting the lack of a control tower and the NTSB planning a full wreckage analysis.
On-the-Ground Reports
Local resident Lloyd Slusser recalled mowing his lawn when he heard the helicopter, observed it turn, and then heard a “huge crash” seconds later. Neighbors Patrick Brown and another witness reported leaping over a fence to assist emergency responders after seeing the wreckage scattered across the field.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the precise collision time: some cite 6:52 p.m., others 7 p.m., and a few 7:50 p.m. The number of occupants in the Cessna was initially unconfirmed; later reporting identified the pilot as Paul William Sokoloski after next-of-kin notification.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The pilots would not have been able to even see that airplane approaching them,” — Pennsylvania State Police Acting
- “When I say it was a very violent crash, that plane was cut into a lot of pieces,” — Col. George Bivens
- “Tonight could have been much worse,” — Governor Josh Shapiro
- “As that Cessna came down along that runway for an unknown reason, it veered hard to the right. At the last moment, it struck the helicopter from the rear,” — Col. George Bivens
- “The helicopter, without its blades and without its tail boom, rolled inverted and crashed into the ground on its side, and partially onto its roof,” — Col. George Bivens
