Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one – a state police helicopter and a small plane collided in midair near a central Pennsylvania airport on Wednesday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the state’s governor. I mean, can you imagine being in the air and suddenly, boom! You’re dealing with a major emergency. The Bell 407 helicopter was approaching the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, airport from the east when it collided with a Cessna 150 airplane circling the field, because that’s exactly what you want to happen when you’re flying – a surprise collision.
The wreckage of the helicopter with the state police emblem could be seen laying on its side near the airport’s runway in video from CNN affiliate WPMT. Now, I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s not where you want to see a police helicopter – on its side, near a runway, after a collision. There has been increased attention to airspace shared between helicopters and planes since last year’s midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport killed 67 people. You’d think that after a tragedy like that, we’d be extra careful up there, but I guess not.
In Wednesday’s collision in Pennsylvania, two officers were on the helicopter, but it was not clear how many people were on the plane, the FAA said. The conditions of everyone involved have not yet been released, which is always the worst part – waiting to hear about the people affected. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and they’re probably right – it is terrifying.
“I’ve been briefed on the aircraft crash involving @PAStatePolice this evening in Carlisle and I am heading there now,” Gov. Josh Shapiro posted to social media. “Lori and I are praying hard and we ask all of our fellow Pennsylvanians to join us.” Bless their hearts, indeed – a governor who still believes in the power of prayer in times of crisis.
Carlisle airport is about 20 miles west of Harrisburg and has a single 4,000 foot long runway. There is no control tower at the field so pilots communicate their intentions on a common radio frequency, an arrangement common at small airports. You’d think that with all the technology we have, we’d be able to avoid these kinds of collisions, but I guess not. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA will investigate the crash, because that’s what they do – investigate and hopefully figure out what went wrong.
A final determination on the probable cause of an accident usually takes one to two years, which is a long time to wait for answers. CNN’s Yan Kaner and Alexandra Skores contributed to this report, and I’m sure they’ll keep us updated on any developments. In conclusion, this collision is a sobering reminder of the risks involved in air travel, and we can only hope that everyone involved is okay. And on a lighter note, I’m just glad I wasn’t on that flight – I don’t think my coffee could have handled the turbulence.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
