S. MIDDLETON TWP., Pa. – The pilot of a plane who is dead after the aircraft collided with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter Wednesday night was a doctor at Penn State Health.
Paul Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey, is dead after the small airplane and the helicopter collided in mid-air at the Carlisle Airport in Cumberland County shortly before 7 p.m., the Cumberland County Coroner’s Office said in a news release.
Penn State Health released a statement regarding his death:
“The Penn State Health community is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Paul Sokoloski, a valued member of our emergency medicine team. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. We are focused on supporting Dr. Sokoloski’s loved ones and the members of our care teams who worked alongside him and are grieving his passing.”
The coroner’s office said an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, August 25.
Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed that two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were injured in the crash, but they are expected to recover.
Shapiro held a press conference in Dauphin County late Wednesday night, speaking from Penn State Hershey S. Medical Center, where he said Corp. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills were being treated. Shapiro said they are part of an elite aviation unit with the Pennsylvania State Police.
In an unrelated news conference Thursday morning, Shapiro said Corp. Corman has been discharged from the hospital, and that he is “in good spirits.”
He said the prognosis is good for Trooper Mills, who remains in the hospital. The governor said he is expected to be released soon.
Lt. Col. George L. Bivens, the acting commissioner of the PSP, shared details known so far about what led to the crash.
He said at about 6:30 p.m., the PSP helicopter crew was conducting routine training exercises. At around 6:52 p.m., the helicopter was hovering several feet above a grassy area near a runway when a small, two-seat Cessna aircraft approached it from behind and came down toward the runway near the grassy area. The Cessna suddenly veered to the right and struck the helicopter from the rear, Bivens said.
WATCH: Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania State Police deliver an update on a crash between a state police helicopter and a plane. The plane pilot was killed, but two state police troopers survived.
The plane hit the rear tail rotor of the helicopter and went into its main rotor, resulting in a “very violent crash,” Bivens said. The plane crashed into the ground “in many pieces,” he said, while the helicopter rolled inverted and crashed onto its side and partially onto its roof.
Both Corman and Mills were initially trapped in the helicopter, but Corman was able to push out a window and pull out Mills, who he believed had more serious injuries and bleeding, Bivens said.
When asked if there were other occupants of the plane, Bivens said the investigation will need to confirm, given the extent and condition of the plane debris.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
According to the Associated Press, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he’s been in touch with the governor.