Coverage spread: 2 sources — 1 left · 1 right
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- A Cessna 150 and a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter collided in midair near Carlisle Airport around 7:50 p.m. Wednesday.
- Two people were aboard the helicopter; the number aboard the plane was unclear.
- No injuries or fatalities had been officially confirmed at the time of reporting.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro said he was briefed and traveled to the scene, posting the same message on social media quoted by both outlets; the NTSB is leading the investigation with FAA assistance.
Where they differ
- The New York Post includes eyewitness accounts from neighbors Patrick Brown and Lloyd Slusser, who described the helicopter flying low and maneuvering before the crash and said they saw two troopers and one person in the plane; CBS News does not include these witness details.
- The Post reports a coroner was called to the scene, a detail CBS News does not mention.
- CBS News provides more detail on the NTSB’s process, noting investigators would document the wreckage before moving it to a secure facility for examination.
- CBS News notes the crash site’s distance from Philadelphia for geographic context, a detail the Post omits.
A Cessna 150 small plane and a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter collided in midair on Wednesday evening near Carlisle Airport in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The crash happened around 7:50 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Two people were aboard the helicopter; the number of people on the plane was not immediately confirmed, and officials had not released information on injuries or fatalities as of the initial reports.
What exactly collided, and where?
The aircraft involved were a Cessna 150, a small single-engine airplane, and a Bell 407 helicopter bearing a Pennsylvania State Police emblem. The collision occurred near Carlisle Airport, a small regional airfield in Cumberland County, about 120 miles west of Philadelphia. Photos from the scene showed the helicopter toppled on its side with debris scattered across the grass alongside the runway, and first responders working through the wreckage of both aircraft.
Were there any injuries or deaths?
As of the reports, no injuries or fatalities had been officially confirmed. A coroner was dispatched to the scene, according to Penn Live’s reporting cited by the New York Post, which suggests the response included preparations for a possible death, though nothing was confirmed publicly. Dozens of emergency vehicles responded to the site.
What do witnesses say happened before the crash?
Two neighbors, Patrick Brown and Lloyd Slusser, told Penn Live they jumped a fence and ran into the field to help after the crash, and said they saw two troopers in the helicopter and one person in the plane. They also said the state police helicopter had been flying low and performing maneuvers before the collision, which they described as something that happens fairly often at that airport. Investigators have not yet said what caused the collision, and no official account of the sequence of events has been released.
Who is responding, and who is investigating?
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on social media that he had been briefed on the crash and was heading to the scene. “I’ve been briefed on the aircraft crash involving PA State Police this evening in Carlisle and I am heading there now,” he wrote, adding, “Lori and I are praying hard and we ask all of our fellow Pennsylvanians to join us.” Cumberland County spokesperson Samantha Krepps confirmed to CBS News that the helicopter belonged to the Pennsylvania State Police. The Pennsylvania State Police had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, with FAA assistance. The NTSB said it dispatched two investigators to the crash site and that, once the wreckage is fully documented, it will be moved to a secure facility for further examination.
What isn’t known yet
Key details remain unresolved: how many people were aboard the Cessna, whether anyone was killed or injured, and what actually caused the two aircraft to collide. Both outlets describe this as a developing story, with official findings expected to come later from the NTSB-led investigation.
Sources
Featured photo: Bronayur at English Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)