On the evening of August 19, local time, a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter collided midair with a small plane near Carlisle Airport in Pennsylvania, according to reports. As of now, there is no confirmed word on casualties.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the incident happened near Carlisle Airport in Pennsylvania, involving a Cessna 150 small plane and a Bell 407 helicopter. Flight tracking data shows the helicopter was approaching the airport when it collided with the small plane that was circling overhead.
At the time of the incident, there were two troopers aboard the state police helicopter, but the number of people on the small plane is still unknown. So far, authorities have not released any confirmed details about injuries or fatalities.
Wreckage of the state police helicopter beside the runway at Carlisle Airport in Pennsylvania (video screenshot)
Carlisle Airport has just one runway, measuring about 4,000 feet (roughly 1,219 meters) long, and no control tower—pilots communicate over public radio frequencies. This setup is pretty common at smaller airports across the U.S.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro took to social media, saying, “I’ve been briefed on the plane crash in Carlisle and I’m heading to the scene.” The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident. Typically, determining the cause of such accidents can take anywhere from one to two years.
Back in January of last year, a passenger jet carrying 64 people collided with a military helicopter carrying 3 service members while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport over Washington, D.C. Both aircraft went down, and there were no survivors. That tragedy prompted stricter safety measures, and the issue of mixed helicopter and passenger plane routes has drawn widespread concern across the country.