The pilot of a small plane was killed when it collided midair with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter in south-central Pennsylvania on Wednesday, the authorities said.
The aircraft, a two-seat Cessna 150, veered sharply to the right as it attempted to land at the airport in Carlisle, Pa., shortly before 7 p.m., said Lt. Col. George Bivens, the acting commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
The plane struck the helicopter, a Bell 407, from behind as it hovered near the runway, damaging the helicopter’s main rotor, Colonel Bivens said in a news conference on Wednesday night.
The helicopter rolled and crashed onto its side and roof, trapping the two troopers on board, he said. Corporal Bryce Corman opened a window and helped Trooper Jason Mills out of the helicopter, Colonel Bivens said.
They were taken to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for minor injures and were in stable condition, said Dr. Ashley Ludwig, the hospital’s trauma medical director.
Colonel Bivens did not identify the Cessna pilot, who the authorities believed was the plane’s only occupant.
“It was a very violent crash. That plane was cut into pieces,” he said. “Part of the investigation will be ensuring that there was one occupant.”
The helicopter had been conducting routine training exercises near Carlisle Airport since 6:30 p.m., he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said they would investigate the collision.