A National Transportation Safety Board report released Tuesday shed more light on a crash involving an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter in Flagstaff that left two DPS crew members dead.
A National Transportation Safety Board report released Tuesday shed more light on a crash involving an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter in northern Arizona that left two DPS crew members dead.
The crash occurred when the DPS helicopter was assisting during an hours-long gun battle in Flagstaff on Feb. 4, 2026.See previous reporting of this story in the video player above. Officials identified the pilot as Robert B. Skankey and the DPS paramedic trooper on board as Hunter R. Bennett. Skankey and Bennett were providing air support to Flagstaff police officers as they worked to take the alleged shooter into custody.According to the report, there was “no evidence of ballistic punctures” and no known issues with the aircraft, citing recent maintenance records.During radio transmissions with personnel on the ground, 'there were no indications of any abnormalities during the communication.' At one point during the flight, according to the report, 'the helicopter began a rapid rotation to the right. The rotation coincided with an unidentified verbal sound on the radio, followed by two loud banging sounds from the helicopter. The helicopter then descended rapidly toward terrain...' There was then a radio transmission that said, 'We’re going down.'According to the report, the aircraft was found to have experienced conditions consistent with 'instantaneous removal of the rotor load from the power turbine.' Evidence of the crash debris showed 'angular cuts' and 'deep grooves' in the tail rotor gearbox.The report stopped short of providing a definitive cause of the crash, but suggested a mechanical issue or failure. Read the full NTSB report below.
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