A VETERAN ER DOCTOR TOOK OFF IN HIS CESSNA — MINUTES LATER, CAMERA FOOTAGE CAPTURED THE PLANE MAKING AN UNUSUAL MOVE BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A PENNSYLVANIA STATE POLICE HELICOPTER HOVERING JUST FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.
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Pilot killed in crash with Pennsylvania State Police helicopter ID’d as ER doctor as ‘dramatic’ video of collision revealed
Veteran ER Doctor Identified as Pilot Killed in Midair Collision With Pennsylvania State Police Helicopter
A veteran emergency physician and experienced pilot has been identified as the man killed when his small plane collided with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter near Carlisle Airport, a dramatic accident captured on video that investigators say still has no clear explanation.
Dr. Paul William Sokoloski, 57, was alone in his Cessna 150 when it collided with a Bell 407 state police helicopter on Wednesday evening, Aug. 19, in Cumberland County. The helicopter was hovering just a few feet above the ground as part of a training exercise when the collision occurred.
Sokoloski died in the crash. The two state troopers aboard the helicopter, Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, survived and were taken to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Corman was later discharged, while Mills remained hospitalized with what officials described as a good prognosis.
Paul William Sokoloski, 57, was identified as the Cessna pilot killed in the “violent” crash with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter.Penn State Health
Pilot was a longtime emergency medicine physician
Sokoloski had spent decades working in emergency medicine and was most recently affiliated with Penn State Health.
Penn State Health records list him as an emergency medicine physician working at several of its facilities, including Hampden Medical Center, Holy Spirit Medical Center and Lancaster Medical Center. He graduated from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in 1996 and completed his emergency medicine residency in 1999.
Following his death, Penn State Health described Sokoloski as a valued member of its emergency medicine team and said the organization was supporting his family and colleagues as they mourned his loss.
He also had an aviation background. Sokoloski held a commercial pilot certificate, and investigators said both he and the pilot of the police helicopter were flight instructors.
Video captures the moments before impact
Video of the accident has provided investigators with an unusually clear look at the collision itself.
The Cessna was approaching the airport when its flight path changed and it struck the rear of the hovering police helicopter. The impact severed major components from the helicopter, including its tail boom and rotor blades, before both aircraft crashed.
Pennsylvania State Police acting commissioner Lt. Col. George Bivens described the collision as extremely violent, noting that the Cessna broke into numerous pieces.
Despite the severity of the impact, both troopers escaped the helicopter. One managed to push out a window and then help the other get out of the wreckage.
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Sokoloski, who has spent nearly three decades working in emergency medicine, has his commerical pilot’s license, according to his LinkedIn.Facebook
Investigators focus on an unusual flight path
The National Transportation Safety Board is now trying to answer the central question raised by the footage: why did the Cessna end up on a collision course with a helicopter that investigators believe Sokoloski had been told was nearby?
NTSB investigator-in-charge Aaron McCarter stressed that officials have not found evidence establishing fault by either pilot.
Carlisle Airport does not have an air traffic control tower. Pilots instead communicate using a common radio frequency, and investigators say communication had been established between the two aircraft before the collision. Evidence also indicates Sokoloski had been made aware that the state police helicopter was hovering in the area.
However, investigators do not yet know whether Sokoloski could actually see the helicopter from the cockpit.
The Cessna’s approach is another major focus. McCarter described its flight path as unusual and said investigators want to determine why the plane approached from that direction before making a sudden turn.
Two Pennsylvania State Police pilots were injured in the collision.Sean Simmers [email protected]
The footage shows the Cessna struck the tail of the hovering chopper, which resulted in an explosion of dust and aircraft debris, before crashing nearby.
“When I say it was a very violent crash, that plane was cut into a lot of pieces,” Lt. Col. George Bivens, the state’s acting police commissioner, said during a late-night press conference Wednesday.
Aaron McCarter, investigator-in-charge with the National Transportation Safety Board, said Thursday that there is no immediate explanation for the fatal collision.
Mechanical issues also being examined
Investigators learned that Sokoloski had been performing maintenance on his Cessna before taking off.
At this stage, however, there is no evidence establishing that a mechanical problem contributed to the crash. The NTSB will examine the wreckage as part of its investigation, along with the aircraft, pilot actions, communications and environmental conditions.
Officials are also examining whether visibility or another obstruction could have prevented Sokoloski from seeing the helicopter despite being aware that it was operating nearby.
McCarter cautioned against drawing conclusions from the dramatic video alone. The footage shows how the collision occurred, he said, but investigators still need to establish why the aircraft ended up in the same space.
For now, authorities have assigned no blame to either Sokoloski or the state police pilots. The NTSB investigation remains in its early stages, with the Cessna’s unusual final flight path, preflight maintenance and the pilots’ communications expected to be key areas of scrutiny.
Pennsylvania State Police said it was a “very violent crash.”Sean Simmers [email protected]
“I have no information at all to tell me either pilot of either vehicle was at fault,” McCarter said, adding that evidence suggests Sokoloski was made aware of the state police chopper hovering nearby.
“I can’t tell you whether or not his visual acuity or whether or not the helicopter was blocked from view,” the investigator said.
McCarter said Sokoloski was doing maintenance on his plane before the flight — but it is not yet known if his Cessna was dealing with any mechanical issues.
Both Pennsylvania State Police pilots were airlifted to the hospital following the crash.Sean Simmers [email protected]
The investigator added that the flight path of the small airplane was unusual and they are investigating why the plane flew in that direction before making a hard turn.
