No sign of mechanical problems in midair collision between plane and police helicopter
By Pete Muntean, CNN
(CNN) — No evidence of mechanical problems was found in either of the two aircraft involved in last month’s deadly midair collision between a small private plane and a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The finding is part of a new preliminary report on the August 19 collision at the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, airport, about 30 miles west of Harrisburg.
Examinations of both the Cessna 150 private plane and the Bell 407 helicopter revealed “no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation,” NTSB investigators wrote.
The helicopter was on a training mission and hovering just feet above the grass next to the runway when the plane slammed into it. The Cessna pilot, 57-year-old emergency room doctor Paul Sokoloski, was killed. The two Pennsylvania State Police pilots aboard the helicopter were seriously injured.
The NTSB report reveals for the first time what the pilots said to each other before the crash. The airport does not have a control tower, so aircraft must coordinate using on a shared radio frequency.
The Cessna pilot asked by radio whether he should extend his “downwind” leg, the portion of the airport traffic pattern flown parallel to the runway, the helicopter instructor pilot told investigators. The move would essentially expand the space between the aircraft.
“Yes, extend your downwind,” the instructor replied.
The Cessna pilot acknowledged and said he was number two for landing, according to the report.
Thirty seconds after the helicopter flew over the end of the runway, the plane followed it, according to the report.
The Cessna’s wings rocked from side to side as it flew low over the runway without touching down. It pitched up and down, turned right and hit the helicopter hovering beside the runway.
Only about eight seconds passed between the helicopter moving off the runway and the collision, the NTSB said.
The preliminary report does not determine a probable cause for the crash, which will come at the conclusion of the investigation, usually within one to two years.
Investigators said last month they were studying whether rotor wash – wind created by the helicopter’s blades – could have affected the Cessna, while cautioning it was too early to say whether it played any role. The preliminary report does not address the issue.
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