Dr. Paul W. Sokoloski was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials
Credit: Paul Sokoloski/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- Paul W. Sokoloski, a physician and certified flight instructor, was identified as the pilot killed in a Pennsylvania plane crash on Wednesday, Aug. 19
- The crash occurred when Sokoloski’s plane collided with a hovering Pennsylvania State Police helicopter
- Sokoloski’s colleagues and organizations released statements mourning his loss and honoring his contributions to emergency medicine
The identity of the deceased pilot involved in a crash between a Cessna Model 150 plane and a Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) helicopter on Wednesday, Aug. 19 has been released.
The deceased pilot and sole occupant of the Cessna 150 plane that crashed with a PSP helicopter has been identified as Dr. Paul W. Sokoloski, according to an Aug. 20 press release from the state police.
Sokoloski was pronounced dead at the scene by the Cumberland County Coroner’s Office, according to the release.
The Cumberland County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death to PEOPLE and said that his autopsy is scheduled for Aug. 25.
Credit: Paul Sokoloski/Facebook
Sokoloski was a physician at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and a certified flight instructor, according to WGAL.
He is listed on Penn State Health’s website as a doctor in emergency medicine.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Sokoloski had been with Penn State Health since Oct. 2022, having previously served there from Dec. 2015 to July 2021.
His previous role was as an emergency physician with WPA Emergency Medicine Staffing LLC, where he stayed for almost 12 years.
Credit: Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP
“The Penn State Health community is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Paul Sokoloski, a valued member of our emergency medicine team,” said the organization in a statement obtained by WJAC.
“Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement continued. “We are focused on supporting Dr. Sokoloski’s loved ones and the members of our care teams who worked alongside him and are grieving his passing.”
WPA Emergency Medicine Staffing LLC also released a statement saluting Sokoloski as “a friend, a familiar voice, and someone we cared about deeply.”
“We will remember Paul not simply for the physician he was, but for the person he was, and for the place he came to hold in our lives,” the statement continued.
NTSB Aviation Accident Investigator Aaron McCarter shared during a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 20, that the organization has received “solid” witness statements stating that Sokoloski was working on his plane earlier in the day.
“I’m not saying that maintenance had anything to do with it. That was just one of the factors,” he said, noting that Sokoloski had flown down South for a few hours to conduct training and had returned to Carlisle earlier on Wednesday evening.
“The Cessna 150 was attempting to land when, for an unknown reason, it veered off the north side of the runway and collided with the rear of the PSP helicopter, which was hovering in mid-air,” according to the PSP release.
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The helicopter was piloted by Corporal Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, who were both airlifted to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey for medical treatment, per the release.
Corporal Corman has since been released from the hospital, while Trooper Mills remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to the release.
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