PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The first of three fundraisers to support the families of two Arizona Department of Public Safety crew members who died in a helicopter crash is happening in Phoenix on Thursday.
Pilot Robert Skankey, 61, and trooper/paramedic Hunter Bennett, 28, were killed in the line of duty when their helicopter, Ranger 56, crashed while responding to an active shooter situation in Flagstaff on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32 is partnering with the Arizona State Troopers Association to host a series of barbecue fundraisers to support their families. Details on all three events are below, the first of which is in the Valley:
PHOENIX | Thursday, Feb. 12, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Arizona Department of Public Safety headquarters | 2102 W. Encanto Blvd.
- Barbecue lunch and t-shirts for sale, donations accepted, raffle items
FLAGSTAFF | Saturday, Feb. 14, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Flagstaff City Hall parking lot | 211 W. Aspen Ave.
- Barbecue lunch and t-shirts for sale, donations accepted, raffle items, live music
KINGMAN | Sunday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Mohave County Fairgrounds, 2600 Fairgrounds Blvd.
- T-shirts for sale, raffle items, rodeo barrel race
Donations can also be made online, through the FOP Lodge 32 or the troopers association.
The crew of Ranger 56 that crashed in Flagstaff has been identified as Trooper Paramedic Hunter Bennett (left) and Pilot Aviation Supervisor Robert Skankey (right).(Arizona DPS)
Skankey, a longtime resident of Kingman, served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1988-2010. He joined DPS in 2021 and was promoted to aviation supervisor in 2024.
Bennett began as a DPS cadet state trooper in 2022 before being assigned to the highway patrol division the following year. He transferred to Western Air in 2024.
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