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Jaw-dropping new footage shows the moment a small plane collided with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter this week in a “very violent crash” that left the pilot dead and two troopers injured.
The video shows the helicopter hovering slightly above the ground Wednesday before the Cessna 150 barrels into frame and smashes into the chopper, littering Carlisle Regional Airport with debris from both aircraft.
The pilot of the plane, Paul Sokoloski, a 57-year-old emergency room doctor from Hershey, died at the scene. Miraculously, the two state troopers aboard the helicopter received only minor injuries.
The Pennsylvania State Police crew had been performing a “hover taxi” maneuver near a runway just before 7 p.m. when the deadly crash occurred.
“As that Cessna came down along that runway, for an unknown reason, it veered hard to the right at the last moment,” said acting PSP Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens.
“It struck the helicopter from the rear. The pilots would not have been able to even see that airplane approaching them.”
Bivens said the plane impacted the rear tail rotor before careening into its main rotor, resulting in a “very violent crash.”
National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge Aaron McCarter said the crews of both aircraft had communicated via radio and were aware of each other’s presence.
“The Cessna came in, straight and level, suddenly increased its pitch, severe nose up, did a left turn, leveled off again, and then flew into the back of the helicopter,” McCarter said.
“Right now we don’t know the details of why the pilot was flying… in that manner, but we are going to find out.”
Witness Lloyd Slusser said he hasn’t been able to get the horrible sounds of the impact out of his head.
“What is sticking in my mind, it was the crash, the loud sounds more than anything, just because it was so loud, it was kind of shocking.”
In a statement, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said of the crash, “tonight could have been much worse for our state police family. Thank God that it wasn’t.”
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