ConflictCessna Slams Into Hovering Police Helicopter in Pennsylvania, Killing ER DoctorAired August 21, 2026 at 3:55 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00Just before 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, August0:0220, 2026, a single-engine Cessna 1500:05slammed into a hovering Pennsylvania0:06State Police helicopter at Carlisle0:08Regional Airport and killed the Cessna's0:10sole occupant, 57-year-old emergency0:12physician Paul William Sokolowski, while0:15the two troopers aboard the helicopter0:16survived.0:17The collision happened at a non-towered0:19field at 228 Petersburg Road in South0:22Middleton Township, Cumberland County0:24FAA identifier N94, about 25 miles west0:28of Harrisburg, where pilots0:29self-announce on a common frequency and0:31separate by visual scanning. The State0:33Police helicopter, a Bell 407 assigned0:36to the aviation unit and based in0:37Harrisburg, had begun routine0:39instructional training around 6:30 p.m.0:41performing a hover taxi 3 to 10 ft above0:43a grassy strip immediately adjacent to0:45and north of the active runway. The0:47Cessna 150N 4 1113130:51This this this This this this This this0:56>> [laughter]1:01[laughter]1:08[laughter]1:31>> 1111111:33right1:39>> [clears throat]3:16>> At the last moment, the Cessna veered3:18hard right and struck the helicopter3:20from the rear, hitting the tail rotor3:22first and then the main rotor in a very3:24violent impact. Security and CCTV video3:27shows the Cessna in straight and level3:29flight, then pitching to a severe nose3:31up attitude, banking left, [music]3:33leveling, then driving into the3:34helicopter with landing gear contacting3:37rotor blades before the tail strike. The3:39Cessna broke into many pieces a short3:41distance ahead. The helicopter lost its3:43blades and tail boom, rolled inverted,3:45and came to rest on its side and3:46partially on its roof.3:48Both aircraft crashed on airport3:50property. The pilot was pronounced dead3:52at the scene by the Cumberland County3:54Coroner's Office. He was Paul William3:56Sokolowski, 57 of Hershey, listed as3:58Paul Sokolowski in initial broadcast and4:01as Paul Sokolowski in coroner and4:02hospital records, a valued member of the4:04emergency medicine team at Milton S.4:07Hershey Medical Center, Holy Spirit and4:09Hampton and an assistant professor at4:11Penn State College of Medicine with4:13decades [music] of experience and prior4:14service as security police with the4:16Pennsylvania Air National Guard. He held4:18a commercial pilot certificate since4:20about 2010 [music] and became a4:21certified flight instructor in February4:232026.4:25Witnesses reported him doing maintenance4:26or work on the aircraft earlier that4:28day, a factor under review. An autopsy4:31was scheduled for August 25. The airport4:33operates without a control tower, so4:35separation depends on pilots announcing4:37intentions and maintaining visual4:39separation. Hover training low beside4:41[music] the active runway is described4:43locally as common at this airport and4:45investigators are examining how that4:47hover area [music] is coordinated with4:48arrivals and departures. Communication4:50was established between the two aircraft4:52before the collision and they were aware4:54of each other.4:55>> [music]4:55>> Radio calls captured the immediate4:57aftermath on the ground and the radio4:59exchange will be reviewed.5:00>> [music]5:00>> One account notes the helicopter's audio5:02system did not record the exchange.5:04The helicopter pilots could not see the5:06approaching plane from the hover. The5:08National Transportation Safety Board is5:10leading the investigation [music]5:11with FAA assistance and state police5:13support. Data cards were recovered and5:14sent [music] to a Washington, D.C.5:16facility for evaluation. Wreckage was5:18examined on site and moved to a facility5:20in Clayton, Delaware for further5:21analysis. [music]5:22Investigators reported no immediate5:24apparent mechanical clues in the initial5:25Cessna wreckage examination. The inquiry5:28will examine the 72 hours before the5:30crash. Visibility, communications,5:32training authorization and human5:33performance. No determination of fault5:35has been made and no mechanical failure5:37has been identified. No lawsuits, civil5:40claims, criminal charges, safety5:42recommendations or legislative actions5:43have been reported as of August 21.5:45[music]5:45Video evidence is central to the review.5:48The security camera sequence showing the5:50unusual pitch up and left turn before5:52the hard right veer into the tail is5:54being analyzed alongside radio and5:56recovered data.5:56>> [music]5:57>> CBS correspondent Michael George5:59reported the security video and6:00eyewitness Lloyd Sasser [music] with6:01neighbor Patrick Brown described hearing6:03a loud bang, seeing smoke, jumping a6:06fence and running to the inverted6:07helicopter and the broken Cessna.6:09Residents at a jujitsu gym about 1,0006:12ft away also reported hearing the6:13impact. Bystanders including nearby6:16workers reached the wreckage as Corporal6:17Korman [music] pushed out a window to6:19free himself and help Trooper Mills exit6:21amid concern for fire. Both troopers6:23were airlifted to Penn State Health6:25Milton S. Hershey Medical Center with6:27minor injuries, stable and expected to6:29fully recover. Korman was released by6:31the next day. Mills remained6:33hospitalized overnight for observation.6:35A preliminary report is expected within6:3730 days with some briefings noting 10 to6:3915 days while a final probable cause6:42determination typically takes 12 to 186:43months and could take up to 2 years. The6:46unresolved questions are why the Cessna6:48entered the severe pitch and turn6:50sequence after [music] establishing6:51awareness with the helicopter, what6:53radio and data show about mutual6:54awareness in the final seconds at a6:56non-towered field, and whether hover6:58training procedures beside an active6:59runway need change.7:01Like and follow for more stories that7:03matter.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗