2 U.S. Army pilots killed in Texas Apache crash; training grounded

Two U.S. Army pilots were killed on Wednesday when their AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashed in a field near Salado, Texas, about 20 miles from Fort Hood, sparking a large wildfire that prompted local evacuations. The Army has since ordered a temporary standdown of all Apache training flights nationwide as the investigation into the fatal crash begins.

The crash occurred at approximately 1:35 p.m. local time on August 12 in a rural area south of Salado. The helicopter, which was on a maintenance test flight, did not strike any buildings before impact. "You could tell this was a violent crash," said Bell County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Bill Coleman.

The two pilots aboard the two-seat aircraft were identified by the Army as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas. Both were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood. Huey joined the Army in 2014, while Olmstead enlisted in 2023. No one on the ground was injured.

The impact ignited a major grass fire that grew to cover approximately 155 acres, forcing the...