An aeroplane pilot died on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) after a violent collision with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter near a runway at a small airport, but both state troopers aboard the helicopter survived, authorities said.
The plane was coming down on the runway and veered into the helicopter that was near the ground, Lt. Col. The FAA and NTSB called it a midair collision but state police didn’t clarify if the plane was off the ground. The pilots, who are from the police’s elite aviation unit and had been performing a training exercise, are stable. Josh Shapiro. “Tonight could’ve been much more tragic for our state police family. Photos and video on social media showed a helicopter on its side near aircraft debris in a field and a line of emergency vehicles near Carlisle.
George Bivens, the state’s acting police commissioner, said during a news conference. Both of the pilots in the helicopter were trapped until one pushed out a window and helped the other out through it, said Bivens. “Tonight could’ve been much worse,” said Gov.
He said the helicopter lost its blades and tail boom and crashed onto its side.
“When I say it was a very violent crash, that plane was cut into a lot of pieces,” he said, explaining that part of the investigation will be making sure the pilot was the only person on board.
