Overview
- An AH-64E Apache from Fort Hood crashed in a field near Salado, Texas, during a maintenance test flight on Aug. 12, killing both crew members and igniting a grass fire that burned about 155 acres before it was contained.
- The Army named the dead as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, who were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
- Bell County deputies pronounced both soldiers dead at the scene after first responders found the aircraft engulfed in flames and battled a multiagency fire response that threatened nearby homes.
- A safety investigation led by a team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker is active and will examine maintenance, flight procedures, and any mechanical or human factors that contributed to the mishap.
- Fort Hood leaders have offered chaplains and support resources to families and unit members, and the Army has said it will assess aviation safety and operational impacts as investigators work.