Overview
- A Cessna 150 and a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 collided near Carlisle Airport on August 19, killing the Cessna pilot, Paul Sokoloski, and seriously injuring the two troopers aboard the helicopter.
- Radio recordings and crew statements show the helicopter instructor told the Cessna pilot to "extend your downwind" and the Cessna acknowledged he was number two to land before the approach continued.
- Airport surveillance video and flight‑tracking data show the helicopter crossed the runway then hovered near a grassy field and the Cessna crossed the threshold about 30 seconds later before pitching up and striking the rear of the helicopter.
- Investigators recovered all major wreckage and avionics, documented paint transfer and structural cuts consistent with an in‑flight collision, and found no evidence of pre‑impact mechanical malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation.
- The NTSB has not assigned a probable cause and is continuing analyses of operational and environmental factors such as rotor wash and sightline limits at non‑towered airports, a review that could prompt changes to procedures for mixing helicopter and fixed‑wing traffic.