Carlisle Airport Plane-Helicopter Crash Kills Doctor, Injures Two State Troopers

Investigators examine fatal collision involving Cessna and Pennsylvania State Police aircraft

CARLISLE, Pennsylvania — A small plane pilot was killed and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were injured Wednesday evening after a Cessna collided with a state police helicopter during a training exercise at Carlisle Airport, authorities said. The crash occurred shortly before 7 p.m. on Aug. 19 in Cumberland County, about 120 miles west of Philadelphia.

The Carlisle Airport plane-helicopter crash involved a Cessna 150 and a Bell 407 helicopter assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police aviation unit, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The Cessna’s sole occupant, 57-year-old Paul Sokoloski, died at the scene, acting Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens said during a Wednesday night briefing.

Sokoloski was an employee of Penn State Health and worked as an emergency medicine physician, a Penn State Health spokesperson confirmed. Authorities did not immediately release details about the Cessna’s flight or its intended destination before the collision.

The helicopter had been based in Harrisburg and was conducting routine training at the airport when it was struck. Bivens said the aircraft was hovering several feet above a grassy area beside a runway when the Cessna approached from behind, aligned near one of the runways and abruptly turned right.

“For an unknown reason, it veered hard to the right at the last moment,” Bivens said, describing the Cessna as striking the helicopter from the rear. He said the helicopter crew would not have been able to see the approaching plane.

Pennsylvania State Police later said the helicopter was “on the ground” at the time of the collision, while the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board initially characterized the event as a midair collision. The differing descriptions are expected to be reviewed as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events.

Troopers escaped damaged helicopter and were taken to hospital

The impact caused the helicopter to roll upside down before it crashed onto its side and partially onto its roof, Bivens said. The two pilots aboard were identified as Cpl. Bryce Korman and Trooper Jason Mills, both members of the state police’s aviation unit.

Both troopers were initially trapped in the damaged helicopter. Bivens said one was able to force open a window, allowing the pair to escape. They were transported to Penn State Hershey Medical Center, where they were reported in stable condition with minor injuries.

In an update Thursday, state police said Korman had been released from the hospital. Mills remained hospitalized in stable condition. Gov. Josh Shapiro said the troopers were expected to survive, calling the outcome less devastating than it could have been for the state police family.

An eyewitness, Lloyd Slusser, described hearing an unusually loud and shocking crash. He said first responders quickly attended to the injured helicopter crew after the wreckage came down near the runway area.

The crash highlights the operational risks at airports where training flights and civilian aircraft movements share the same airfield environment. Investigators will examine aircraft positions, communications, weather conditions, available video and photographs, and the physical wreckage to determine why the Cessna changed course.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with FAA assistance. The NTSB said the wreckage will be documented and then moved to a secure facility for further examination. No cause has been determined, and the investigation remains ongoing.