Investigators probe midair crash as landing plane hits hovering police helicopter

Investigators are probing a midair crash at a rural Pennsylvania airport where a small plane collided with a hovering state police helicopter, resulting in the death of the plane's pilot and injuries to two state troopers. The National Transportation Safety Board is examining the wreckage, aircraft, pilots' actions, weather, and other environmental conditions at the time of the crash.

Both pilots were flight instructors, and the airport lacked a control tower, relying on pilots communicating over a common frequency. The Cessna pilot was aware of the helicopter hovering nearby, but investigators have yet to determine if the helicopter was difficult to see. The Cessna pilot, Paul William Sokoloski, 57, was killed, while both pilots were trapped inside the wreckage until one managed to escape.

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