Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, have released a preliminary report on their findings after a doctor for Penn State Health was killed in a collision between a plane and a Pa. State Police helicopter at the Carlisle Airport on Aug. 19, 2026. On Wednesday, the N TSB released a report that detailed the incident, noting there was no evidence of mechanical problems with either aircraft, yet it didn’t detail a direct cause for the crash. The cause is expected to be part of the NTSB’s final report. However, the report does provide some additional details into what happened when a Cessna 150 — piloted by Paul Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey, a doctor and member of the emergency medicine team at Penn State Health — veered off course and crashed into a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter that was performing a training exercise off the runway at the Carlisle Airport. Sokoloski was killed in the crash and two State Police troopers — identified as Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills — were injured. What happened ahead of the the deadly crash? The report notes that, while the helicopter was approaching the airport, data showed that the airplane “crossed over the airport to the northeast, then made left turns to enter a left crosswind leg to downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 28.” At that point, a witness told investigators, the report notes, that the helicopter crew saw the airplane and made a radio call to tell Sokoloski to “extend his downwind” and Sokoloski acknowledged the communication. Airport surveillance video showed that Sokoloski then “turned onto the left base leg of the traffic pattern about 2,500 ft from the runway 28 threshold and continued his approach,” the report notes. Shortly after initiating that turn, the NTSB report says track data was lost. But, security cameras captured the moments when “the helicopter crossed over the runway threshold while the airplane was on the left base leg. About 30 seconds later, the airplane crossed over the threshold as the helicopter was still over the runway.” At that moment, the report states the planes “wings rocked to the left and right as the airplane flew low over the runway surface.” An image from the NTSB report showing the lead up to the deadly crash at Carlisle Airport on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. The plane then “appeared to make several lateral and vertical movements as it flew over the runway,” the NTSB said. ‘They were unable to observe the approaching plane’ As the airplane approached, the helicopter hovered off the runway over a grass field, but, the NTSB found that, at this point, the crew in the helicopter was positioned in a way that they could not see the approaching airplane. “The helicopter pilots stated that due to the helicopter’s position and orientation relative to the runway, they were unable to observe the approaching airplane, which was behind them,” the report says. The plane then continued to fly “with the wings rocking before it pitched up and began climbing,” before the NTSB report found the right wing dropped and the plane turned right, descending toward the northeast. Then, as the helicopter hovered about 50 feet over the grass field, the airplane’s wings rolled level and it pitched up, moments before it collided with the rear of the helicopter, the report states. Pennsylvania Aug 21 NTSB investigators recover data cards in deadly Carlisle Airport crash Pennsylvania Aug 20 NTSB reveals moments leading up to deadly plane, helicopter crash Pennsylvania Aug 19 Pilot killed, 2 PSP Troopers hurt after aircraft collision, officials say “During the collision, the airplane separated into four major sections; the engine compartment, wings, empennage, and lower fuselage were spread over a distance of about 250 ft along a magnetic heading of about 330°,” the report says. “Additional parts of the airplane were significantly fragmented and spread throughout the area in a fanlike pattern.” No mechanical problems were found with either aircraft, the report notes, saying that both the airplane and the helicopter should have been able to function normally. The NTSB report does not place anyone at fault and doesn’t directly state what caused the crash. Those findings are expected to be part of a final report from the federal agency. But, the NTSB did not note when a final report of this deadly crash could be expected. ...read more read less