US Army AH-64 Apache crashes in central Texas field, killing both crew members and sparking wildfire

A US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter based at Fort Hood crashed into a field south of Salado, Texas, on Wednesday, killing both people aboard and igniting a wildfire that prompted evacuations of nearby residents and road closures. Bell County Sheriff's Office spokesman Cliff Coleman confirmed the two deaths and described the incident as a 'violent crash.' Fort Hood subsequently confirmed the aircraft as an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter assigned to the installation.

According to the New York Post, authorities received the call about the crash at approximately 1:34 p.m. local time. The outlet also reported, citing KWTX, that the helicopter went down off Dove Hollow Lane in a field roughly 30 minutes from Fort Hood, and that Farm to Market Road 2843 was shut down near the crash site.

An anonymous military official, cited by the Times of India, said the Apache was on a routine training flight when the incident occurred. Coleman noted that the helicopter did not strike any homes or other structures.

The wildfire sparked by the crash remained uncontrolled as of 4 p.m. ET, according to Coleman. Local emergency services, military responders, and law enforcement were all actively responding to the scene, Fort Hood said in a statement.

Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, acting commanding general, said in a statement: 'Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts. Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information.' Fort Hood described the situation as ongoing and said additional information would be released as it became available.

Fort Hood's criminal investigation division was leading the inquiry into the cause of the crash, according to Coleman. The cause was not immediately known.

The identities of the two crew members killed have not been released. No one on the ground was injured.

Fort Hood spans 214,968 acres, or 336 square miles, according to the Times of India, which described it as a major installation used to train and deploy heavy forces. The AH-64 Apache has been part of the US military fleet since 1984; its two-person crew sits in tandem, with the pilot in the rear and the co-pilot/gunner in front.

The Times of India noted prior fatal accidents at Fort Hood, including a November 2015 Black Hawk helicopter crash during an exercise that killed four soldiers, and a 2016 incident in which nine soldiers died after a rain-swollen creek swept their vehicle into rushing waters.

• The cause of the crash has not been established.
• The identities of the two crew members killed have not been released.
• The extent of the wildfire — including total acreage burned and number of homes evacuated — is not specified in any source.
• Whether the fire was subsequently brought under control is not established.
• No independent account of the anonymous military official's claim that the flight was routine has been confirmed by named sources.

1. The Times of India — original — by TOI World Desk
2. New York Post — by Ella Morrison
3. CBS News — by Kerry Breen

Read the original at The Times of India

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