NTSB Investigation Reveals Crash

The story so far

As of August 20, 2026

A Cessna 150 attempting to land at Carlisle Airport on Aug. 19 veered to the right and struck the tail of a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 that was hovering a few feet above a grassy area beside the runway during a training exercise. Both aircraft came down. The Cessna’s pilot, Paul William Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey, was killed. The helicopter pilots, Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were injured but got out of the overturned aircraft; Corman has since been released and Mills remains hospitalized in stable condition.

Investigators have opened the NTSB probe and are building the sequence from wreckage, airport surveillance video, and radio traffic at the non-towered field. Both aircraft were on the common frequency and had established communication, and evidence indicates the Cessna pilot was aware of the hovering helicopter. The Cessna’s approach was atypical: straight and level, then a sharp pitch-up, a left turn, a brief level-off, and impact into the rear of the helicopter. Early findings include aircraft system failures and an unusual flight path before the collision.

The core of the case has shifted from whether the crews saw each other to why expected separation failed in a setting that relies on see-and-avoid and radio coordination. Two instructor-rated pilots, good visibility, an announced hover-taxi near the runway, and an approach that changed abruptly put focus on three threads that explain the rest: the Cessna’s control and systems status after recent maintenance, the pilots’ actions and workload in the pattern, and how a training hover was positioned relative to a landing path at an uncontrolled airport.

What remains is a technical determination of cause. The wreckage is being moved to a secure facility for examination of airframes, powerplants, and control continuity, alongside a review of pilot performance and the operating environment. No fault finding has been made, and the NTSB’s analysis and probable-cause work will take months.