Data cards retrieved from plane and helicopter that collided in deadly Pennsylvania airport crash

CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) — Federal investigators have pulled intact data cards from a state police helicopter and Cessna plane that collided at a small airport in central Pennsylvania, killing the plane’s pilot.

Aaron McCarter, investigator-in-charge with the National Transportation Safety Board, called the recovery of the cards “very good news from a data standpoint,” during a media briefing Friday morning. Neither aircraft would be required to have a cockpit voice recorder that is found in larger aircraft, McCarter said.

"We don't know exactly what kind of parameters are on these data cards, but in some cases we get fortunate" and the cards have robust flight data, McCarter said.

The data cards will be reviewed over the weekend as investigators try to determine why the Cessna clipped the helicopter during takeoff Wednesday night, McCarter said. The pilot of the plane was killed and two people inside the helicopter were injured.

The crash at the small airport in Carlisle, about 110 miles (170 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, involved a Bell 407 helicopter and Cessna 150, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Cessna was attempting to land when it veered to the side and collided with the rear of the police helicopter, which was hovering above a grassy area beside the runway as part of a training exercise.

The small plane struck the tail of the hovering helicopter, killing the Cessna pilot and sending both aircraft to the ground in pieces.

McCarter said Friday the helicopter was about 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 meters) away from the runway. He said as the Cessna approached, it appeared to "be out of control."

McCarter said the wreckage of both aircraft have been salvaged and will be moved to a Delaware facility for examination.

McCarter said Thursday that both pilots were flight instructors and they have strong evidence the Cessna pilot was made aware of the helicopter nearby. The flight path of the plane was unusual and its pilot had been doing maintenance on the Cessna before the flight, he said.

The pilot of the plane was identified as 57-year-old Paul William Sokoloski.

Both helicopter pilots, Cpl. Bryce Corman and Trooper Jason Mills, were trapped until one pushed out a window, state police said. Corman is out of the hospital and Mills was still recovering with a good prognosis, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday.

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

Authorities investigate a crash between a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter and a small plane at the Carlisle airport in Carlisle, Pa. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Sean Simmers/The Patriot-News via AP)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Stadium Authority is considering and almost certainly will approve a $158 million upgrade to the north entrance at Allegiant Stadium, with $75 million coming from a taxpayer fund and the rest from the Las Vegas Raiders.

No action was taken on the agenda item Thursday at the Stadium Authority meeting, but instead a vote could occur Sept. 2.

Construction isn't expected to begin until after the Raiders' season ends with the goal of it being completed in late 2028 or sometime before the 2029 Super Bowl at Allegiant.

“Those are not aspirational goals," Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan told the Stadium Authority. “They're based on some educated conversations that our tech and design teams have had.”

Funds would go to the 65,000-seat stadium that opened in 2020 at a cost of $2 billion to add pedestrian and event decks, a plaza and transportation enhancements. The public money will come from surplus room tax revenue.

Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said that while Stadium Authority owns the stadium, the Raiders are responsible for its upkeep.

“We want to make sure the stadium remains a world-class venue,” Hill said. “We want to make sure Allegiant Stadium is well-funded from both a private standpoint as well as a public standpoint.”

Many fans walk over a nearby bridge from the Las Vegas Strip to attend Raiders games and other events. The new entry would create a more direct path to the venue by remaining on an elevated walkway.

“The north side of the building has become one of the more pressure points in the guest experience,” Douglass Morgan said. “That infrastructure is stretched to capacity.”

The stadium was constructed with $750 million in public money, with backers saying it not only would house Raiders games, but also be the home to UNLV football, major sporting events and concerts.

Allegiant Stadium hosted the Super Bowl in 2024. This season's college football national championship game is set for Allegiant, and the Final Four is scheduled for 2028.

“When the Raiders came to Las Vegas (from Oakland, California), this was never about (just) bringing an NFL team to Nevada,” Douglass Morgan said. “It was a long-term commitment to this community and the state."

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Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis, right, talks with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady prior to a preseason NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) celebrates his toucdown against the Arizona Cardinals with teammates, including wide receiver Jalen Nailor (9) and offensive tackle Kolton Miller (74), during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)