1 Dead in Midair Involving Police Helicopter and Cessna

2 survive collision over runway in Pennsylvania.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 09:41 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 was struck by Cessna 150 flying in the pattern at a nontowered airport west of Harrisburg. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A midair collision occurred at Carlisle Airport between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter (Bell 407) and a Cessna 150, resulting in one fatality and two injuries.
The accident happened when the Cessna, while approaching the runway, veered right and struck the rotors of the helicopter, which was hovering in a nearby grass area.
The occupants of the helicopter escaped with injuries, while the Cessna broke apart; the FAA and NTSB are investigating the incident.

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One person was killed and two others injured in a midair collision between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a Cessna 150. The accident happened just before 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday over Carlisle A i rport (N94) west of Harrisburg.

Images of the accident released on social media show the helicopter laying on its side in the grass next to the runway. There was a massive police and fire presence with lots of vehicles and flashing lights. According to authorities the Bell 407 helicopter was approaching from the east.