A small Cessna 150 airplane and a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter collided near Carlisle Regional Airport in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, at about 7:50 p.m. local time on August 19, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The Cessna veered sharply right and struck the helicopter from behind near the runway while the helicopter was conducting training exercises several feet above the ground [1, 2, 4, 5, 3].
The pilot of the Cessna was killed in the crash, while the helicopter’s two troopers escaped with minor injuries after the helicopter rolled and crashed on its side and roof [1, 2, 4, 5, 3]. The troopers exited the aircraft through a window pushed out by the collision [1, 2, 4, 5, 3]. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who visited the crash site, said, "Tonight could’ve been much worse. Tonight could’ve been much more tragic for our state police family" and confirmed that the troopers were expected to recover [2, 6, 5, 3]. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy added, "Please join me in prayer for the victims and @PAStatePolice troopers... We’ll share additional updates as soon as we have them." [6]
Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens described the crash as "very violent" and said, "that plane was cut into pieces." [1] The helicopter was part of the Pennsylvania State Police's elite aviation unit and had been conducting routine training exercises since about 6:30 p.m. [1, 2, 4, 5]. Carlisle Regional Airport is located about 110-120 miles west-northwest of Philadelphia [2, 6, 5, 3].
Investigators have not yet released the identity of the deceased pilot pending next-of-kin notification [2, 4]. The Cessna 150 is a two-seat trainer aircraft, and authorities are still confirming if the pilot was the only occupant aboard [1, 2, 4, 5, 3]. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash, with the NTSB leading the inquiry [1, 2, 6, 4, 5, 3].
Emergency responders arrived within minutes of the crash. The two injured troopers were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries [1, 2, 5]. Authorities held a news conference later that evening confirming one fatality and two injuries and announced the official investigation into the collision [1, 2, 4, 3].
