Ariz. Pilot, Trooper/Paramedic Killed in Police Helicopter Crash Identfied

The Arizona Department of Public Safety identified the two Aviation Bureau members who died Wednesday when a department helicopter crashed while responding to an active shooter call near Flagstaff.

Pilot Robert Skankey and Trooper/Paramedic Hunter Bennett were killed when their Bell 407 helicopter, Ranger 56, went down at just after 10:15 p.m., according to the agency. The air crew was helping Flagstaff police with an active shooter call. 

“This is a devastating moment for the DPS family, the FOP, and our state’s law enforcement community,” said Michael Hunt, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 32, according to KPHO-TV. “Our fallen trooper served with honor and courage, answering the call to protect others. Both the paramedic, and the pilot, a military veteran, made the ultimate sacrifice while supporting the mission. Their loss is profound, and our hearts are with their families, friends, and colleagues.”

Skankey joined the agency in May 2021 as a rotary-wing pilot assigned to Western Air Rescue and was promoted to aviation supervisor in June 2024. He was a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel with over 20 years of military service, serving as a pilot in command, presidential support pilot and operations and safety officer.

Before joining the department, Skankey flew emergency medical service missions and had logged over 5,100 flight hours.

Bennett joined the department as a cadet in June 2022 and graduated at the top of his January 2023 class. He initially served with the Highway Patrol Division before transferring to Western Air Rescue in April 2024 as a trooper/paramedic.

Bennett was a nationally registered and state-certified paramedic and previously worked in the 911 ambulance system before joining the department.

The department said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. The agency is cooperating with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board and will release additional verified information as it becomes available.