CARLISLE, PA — An airplane pilot died Wednesday after a hard collision with a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter near a runway at a small airport in Carlisle. Two troopers aboard the helicopter survived, authorities said.
Lt. Col. George Bivens, the acting state police commissioner, said the plane was coming down toward the runway when it veered into the helicopter, which was near the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board both described the event as a midair collision.
State police did not say whether the airplane was fully airborne or still in a landing pattern when the crash happened. The crash drew a quick response from investigators at the airport, where the scene showed a damaged plane and helicopter close together near the runway.
What investigators say happened
Bivens said the airplane and helicopter came together in the area near the runway at Carlisle Airport. He said the aircraft was descending when it struck the state police helicopter, though officials have not fully clarified the plane’s position at the moment of impact…