The NTSB says in a preliminary report it couldn’t find any mechanical reasons for the collision between a Cessna 150 and a Pennsylvania State Police Bell 407 helicopter that killed the pilot of the 150 on August 19 at Carlisle Airport. Thanks to footage from three security cameras and radio transmission recordings, they were able to stitch together the timeline of the flight profiles of both aircraft before the 150 suddenly veered right off the runway and was shredded in a collision with the tail and main rotors of the helicopter. The airplane crossed the threshold of Runway 28 about 30 seconds after the helicopter made its own runway approach before exiting the runway and going into a hover taxi over the infield to the right of the runway.
“The airplane continued to fly along the runway with the wings rocking before it pitched up and began climbing. After the airplane reached the apex of its climb, about 1 1/2 wingspans above the runway, the right wing dropped and the airplane immediately turned right and descended towards the northwest,” the report said. “The helicopter was in a hover about 50 ft north of the runway when the approaching airplane’s wings rolled level, before it rapidly pitched up, and collided with the rear of the helicopter, striking the tail rotor and main rotor blades. About 8 seconds elapsed from the time the helicopter exited the runway surface until the collision.“
Photo of the windsock confirms little to no breeze to dissipate the rotor wash from the helicopter. Report reads that the C-150 crossed the threshold while the helicopter was still in a hover taxi and over the runway. Sadly, the accident happened exactly like it was supposed to.