NTSB Releases Initial Findings on Flagstaff Helicopter Crash: DPS Crew Members Robert Skankey and Hunter Bennett Killed During Active Shooter Response.

NTSB Releases Initial Findings on Flagstaff Helicopter Crash, DPS Crew Members Robert Skankey and Hunter Bennett Killed During Active Shooter Response.

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its first report on the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of two Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) personnel last month. The victims, pilot Robert Skankey, 61, and trooper paramedic Hunter Bennett, 28, died on the night of February 4, 2026, while responding to an active shooter situation in Flagstaff.

According to the NTSB, the DPS Ranger 56 helicopter departed Kingman shortly after 9 p.m. and arrived in Flagstaff about an hour later. While attempting to climb above a neighborhood to allow a medical helicopter access to Flagstaff Medical Center, the aircraft began a slow climb but then rapidly rotated to the right. Witnesses reported hearing two “banging sounds” before Bennett radioed, “we’re going down,” moments prior to the helicopter crashing on a dirt road north of Flagstaff Airport.

Investigators noted that the main wreckage included the cockpit, cabin, and aft fuselage, while critical components such as the tail rotor, main rotor hub, transmission, and rotor blades were scattered near the site. Some rotor blades were lightly coated with an orange/yellow oil film, raising questions about potential mechanical failure. Aviation experts, including Cary Grant of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, have highlighted possible issues with the rotor system as a factor, though the report does not provide a definitive cause.

During the response, the helicopter was never under fire; Storey, the active shooter, was approximately 7,500 feet away. DPS officials confirmed Ranger 56 had undergone a maintenance check just days before the crash.

Skankey, a Marine Corps veteran from Kingman, is remembered for his dedication and community impact. Bennett had recently joined DPS’s Western Air Unit and died just days after his 28th birthday. The Flagstaff community continues to mourn the loss of the two men who gave their lives in service.

Terrell Storey, the suspect, has been indicted on 60 criminal counts, including two murder charges, and remains held on a $5 million bond.