The U.S. Army announced on Friday that it is implementing a temporary halt on all training flights for its Apache helicopter fleet. This decision follows a fatal accident that occurred earlier this week near Fort Hood, Texas, which resulted in the deaths of two service members.
The military confirmed that the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down on Wednesday in a rural field in Salado, Texas. The deceased aviators were identified as 34-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and 25-year-old Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmsted, both of whom were Texas natives. Bill Coleman, a spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, noted that while the aircraft did not strike any structures, the impact was severe enough to ignite a wildfire. “You could tell this was a violent crash,” Coleman remarked to reporters.
Regarding the operational pause, the Army stated, “The stand-down will remain in effect until we have a better understanding of the root cause of the accident.” While the military has not yet determined the specific factors that led to the crash, such safety stand-downs are standard procedure following fatal incidents to allow for thorough investigations.
Expressing the military’s grief, the Army stated, “The Army is profoundly saddened by the loss of two Soldiers in the recent AH64 Apache helicopter crash near Fort Hood, Texas. We mourn these aviators, and our deepest condolences remain with their families, friends, and unit during this extraordinarily difficult time.”
The AH-64 Apache, produced by Boeing since the late 1990s, is characterized by the Army as the world’s most advanced aerial fighting vehicle. The twin-engine aircraft typically carries a pilot and a co-pilot gunner, featuring a rapid-fire gun and the capability to deploy Hellfire missiles. Hundreds of these helicopters are currently in service with Army and National Guard units. Their operational history includes deployments in the U.S.-Iran conflict, notably in June when an Apache patrolling the Strait of Hormuz was downed by an Iranian drone, leading to the successful rescue of the two pilots by a sea drone.
Source: CBS News
