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Pilot killed, 2 troopers injured after small plane collides in midair with Pennsylvania State Police helicopter.

The pilot of a small airplane was killed and two Pennsylvania State Police troopers were injured after the plane collided in midair with a state police helicopter near the Carlisle airport in Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The Cessna 150 airplane crashed into the Bell 407 helicopter, which was conducting a training exercise, shortly before 7 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner Col. George Bivens said.

The Cumberland County Coroner's Office on Thursday identified the pilot of the Cessna as Dr. Paul Sokoloski, 57, of Hershey, Pennsylvania. He was the sole occupant of the plane, state police said. Penn State Health said Sokoloski was a "valued member of our emergency medicine team."

The pilot was a certified flight instructor, National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge Aaron McCarter told reporters on Thursday.

The trooper and the colonel who were inside the helicopter were injured in the crash but are expected to recover, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told reporters. He identified them as Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills.

"Tonight could have been much worse," Shapiro said during a news conference on Wednesday.