Pennsylvania crash: One killed in ‘violent’ collision between Cessna 150 and police helicopter
The pilot of a Cessna 150 plane was killed when the aircraft collided with a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter near a runway at a small airport in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, authorities said.Both state troopers aboard the helicopter survived the collision on Wednesday evening (local time).According to Lt Col George Bivens, Pennsylvania’s acting police commissioner, the Cessna 150 veered into the helicopter, which was near the ground.“When I say it was a very violent crash, that plane was cut into a lot of pieces,” Bivens told a news conference. He explained that investigators would also determine whether the pilot was the only person aboard the Cessna, a two-seat aircraft typically used for flight training.“Both of the pilots in the Bell 407 were trapped until one pushed out a window and helped the other out through the window. The helicopter had been performing a training exercise,” he added.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had earlier described the incident as a midair collision, although Bivens did not clarify whether the plane was off the ground.Officials are withholding the identity of the person who died until the next of kin are notified.Photos and videos posted on social media showed the helicopter lying on its side near aircraft debris in a field, with a line of emergency vehicles nearby.The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that he had been in touch with the governor.
