Aviation Safety and NTSB Investigations

A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report on the Feb. 4, 2026, crash of an Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter in Flagstaff concludes the accident likely stemmed from a catastrophic main‑rotor mechanical failure rather than gunfire from the ground. The crash killed trooper paramedic Hunter Bennett, 28, and pilot Robert Skankey, 61, as they circled about 1,000 feet over a residential area to support officers engaged in a gunfight with suspect Terrell Storey during a domestic‑violence response. Investigators found no 'ballistic punctures' in the wreckage, but documented that three of the four main rotor blades and a section of tail boom were thrown hundreds of feet from the fuselage, with impact marks consistent with the main rotor striking the tail. Audio from the aircraft captured two loud bangs and a voice saying 'we’re going down,' and an aviation safety expert told AP that a sudden, uncommanded uncoupling of the rotor system likely led to an uncontrollable spin from which recovery was impossible at that low altitude and speed. Storey, 50, remains jailed after being indicted on two counts of first‑degree felony murder and numerous related charges, while the NTSB says a final report identifying the precise mechanical cause is expected in a year or more, a finding that could affect maintenance and operational standards for similar police helicopters nationwide.