CARLISLE, PA – August 22, 2026 (STL.News) Newly released surveillance video captures the dramatic moment a small airplane collided with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter at Carlisle Airport, a crash that killed the plane’s pilot and injured two state troopers.
The Aug. 19 collision involved a Cessna 150 single-engine airplane and a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407GX helicopter. Pennsylvania State Police said the helicopter was hovering over a grassy area north of the runway when it was struck at approximately 6:58 p.m.
Authorities identified the Cessna pilot as 57-year-old Paul William Sokoloski. He was the only person aboard the airplane and was pronounced dead following the crash.
Two Pennsylvania State Police members — Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills — were aboard the helicopter. Both survived the violent collision and were taken for medical treatment. Corman was later released from the hospital, while Mills continued to recover in stable condition, according to reports.
Federal investigators are now examining video, aircraft wreckage, recovered electronic data and other evidence to determine exactly what caused the Cessna to depart from its expected path and strike the helicopter.
Surveillance video captures collision
Video of the accident provides investigators with an unusually clear visual record of the final moments before the crash.
The footage shows the Cessna approaching the airport as the police helicopter operates near the runway area. The airplane then changes direction before colliding with the helicopter.
Investigators have not determined why that happened.
The collision caused catastrophic damage to both aircraft. The helicopter lost major components, including its tail boom and rotor blades, before crashing, while the Cessna was also destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, with the Federal Aviation Administration also involved.
The FAA stresses that information released during the early stages of aviation accident investigations is preliminary and subject to change.
That distinction matters in this case because video showing what happened does not necessarily explain why it happened.
NTSB recovers aircraft data cards
Investigators have recovered intact electronic data cards from both aircraft, potentially providing another important source of information about the collision.
The NTSB said the aircraft were not required to carry the flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders commonly known as “black boxes.” However, electronic equipment aboard the Cessna and helicopter may contain information useful to investigators.
Investigators expect to examine the recovered cards as they reconstruct the aircraft’s movements.
Investigators will also study the wreckage, communications, pilot actions, aircraft condition and environmental factors.
Investigators have collected the wreckage for further examination as the investigation continues.
Cessna plane was attempting to land
Preliminary information indicates the Cessna was approaching or attempting to land when its flight path changed.
The Bell 407 helicopter, meanwhile, was participating in a Pennsylvania State Police training operation.
According to investigators cited by The Associated Press, the aircraft had established communications, and preliminary evidence indicated the Cessna pilot knew the helicopter was operating in the area.
Carlisle Airport does not have an air traffic control tower. Pilots operating at such airports typically communicate their positions and intentions over a common radio frequency.
That does not establish responsibility for the accident. Investigators must determine what communications occurred, whether they were received and understood, and how the two aircraft’s positions developed immediately before impact.
The reason for the Cessna’s final change in direction remains one of the central questions facing investigators.
Pilot reportedly worked on aircraft before flight
Investigators are also examining the Cessna’s mechanical condition.
Witness information gathered during the investigation indicates Sokoloski had been seen working on the airplane earlier in the day.
That observation does not establish that a mechanical problem caused the accident.
Investigators routinely examine an aircraft’s maintenance history, mechanical components, engine, flight controls and other systems following a fatal aviation accident.
The NTSB is considering multiple possibilities rather than focusing prematurely on a single explanation. Investigators are expected to examine potential mechanical issues as well as aerodynamic, operational, environmental and human factors.
Rotor wash — turbulent air produced by helicopter rotors — is among the factors that can be evaluated, but investigators have not determined that it caused the Cessna’s unusual movement.
Two Pennsylvania troopers survive crash
The survival of the two state troopers aboard the Bell 407 was one of the remarkable aspects of the accident.
The collision severely damaged the helicopter and sent it crashing to the ground.
According to accident accounts, Corman escaped the helicopter and helped Mills after the impact. Both men were transported for treatment.
Pennsylvania State Police officials emphasized after the crash that the accident could have resulted in significantly more casualties.
The helicopter was conducting training at the time, while the Cessna carried only its pilot.
Pilot identified as Paul Sokoloski
Authorities identified the Cessna pilot as Paul William Sokoloski, 57.
Sokoloski was a physician associated with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and, according to reports after his identification, a certified flight instructor.
His aviation experience will likely be documented as part of the NTSB investigation, which routinely examines a pilot’s certifications, flight experience, training, and recent flying history.
The Cumberland County Coroner’s Office was involved in the investigation into Sokoloski’s death.
His death turned what could have been an extraordinary near miss into a fatal aviation accident now drawing national attention.
What investigators will examine
Aviation accident investigations can take months before investigators formally determine a probable cause.
Investigators will attempt to reconstruct the precise movements of both aircraft in the seconds before impact.
Evidence could include surveillance video, radio transmissions, electronic flight information, GPS data, maintenance records, witness accounts, weather information and physical examination of the wreckage.
Investigators will also look closely at the Cessna’s apparent deviation during its landing approach.
One critical question is whether that movement resulted from pilot input, a mechanical problem, aerodynamic forces or another factor.
Investigators will also examine the helicopter’s position, altitude, and operating procedures during the training exercise.
Video can help investigators establish the sequence of events, but determining probable cause requires considerably more evidence.
Carlisle Airport has no control tower
The accident also draws attention to operations at smaller airports without an operating control tower.
A nontowered airport is not necessarily an uncontrolled environment. Pilots follow established procedures and use radio communications to coordinate their movements with other aircraft.
Thousands of flights safely operate from such airports across the United States.
The NTSB investigation will determine whether airport communications, procedures, or situational awareness played any role in this particular accident.
No official finding has determined that the absence of a tower contributed to the collision.
Video becomes key evidence in investigation
Surveillance footage is likely to be valuable because it lets investigators compare visible aircraft movements with electronic data and witness statements.
Investigators can potentially use the footage to establish relative positions, direction of travel, and the sequence of the collision.
But the footage should not be interpreted as proof of fault on its own.
The NTSB has not announced a probable cause, and federal investigators continue to collect and analyze evidence.
The agency’s investigation could eventually produce recommendations intended to prevent similar accidents.
For now, the established facts remain that the Cessna was attempting to land, the Pennsylvania State Police helicopter was engaged in a training exercise, the two aircraft collided, Sokoloski was killed, and the two state troopers survived.
The newly released video offers a dramatic view of those final moments, but the harder question—why the collision happened—remains under federal investigation.
