Pennsylvania State Police Helicopter and Cessna Plane Crash Near Carlisle Airport

A Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter collided with a Cessna 150 aircraft while both were operating near Carlisle Airport in central Pennsylvania on Wednesday evening, federal officials said. Flight-tracking data showed the helicopter was approaching the airport from the east when it struck the small plane, which was circling the field. Video from a local news outlet captured the helicopter wreckage lying on its side near the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that two state police officers were aboard the helicopter; the number of occupants in the Cessna has not been confirmed. The condition of all individuals involved has not yet been released. Governor Josh Shapiro said he was heading to the site after being briefed on the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will conduct a joint investigation. Carlisle Airport, located about 20 miles west of Harrisburg, has a single 4,000-foot runway and operates without an air traffic control tower, requiring pilots to coordinate via a common radio frequency. The incident adds to recent scrutiny of shared airspace following a fatal midair collision at Washington’s Ronald Reagan Airport last year.