Mechanical Failure, Not Gunfire, Caused Arizona Police Helicopter Crash That Killed Two Officers

On February 4th, a deadly police helicopter crash claimed the lives of two dedicated Arizona Department of Public Safety officers—trooper paramedic Hunter Bennett and pilot Robert Skankey—during what was supposed to be a tactical support mission in a violent gun battle. A newly released preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) lays bare the true culprit: a catastrophic mechanical failure in the helicopter's main rotor system. Why Did This Happen Above the Fight? As officers exchanged fire with suspect Terrell Storey in a residential neighborhood, the police helicopter provided critical aerial surveillance, designed to give ground units an...