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Plane CrashesVersion 5

Army Identifies Two Pilots Killed in Apache Helicopter Crash Near Fort Hood

The August 12 crash near Salado, Texas, killed both crew members and started a grass fire that forced evacuations; the cause has not been determined.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 12, 2026, 4:27 p.m. ETUpdated Aug 14, 2026, 8:19 p.m. ET
Developing

This is a developing story. Details reported early are provisional and are frequently revised. Where sources disagree, both readings are given.

people were killed when a helicopter crashed in a field near Fort Hood in on August 12, 2026, according to Fox News, ABC News, the Daily Mail, Aerotime and Biztoc. The cause has not been determined. Fox News, ABC News and the Daily Mail reported an investigation is open; Aerotime reported the cause as unknown. The has identified the dead pilots as Chief Warrant Officer Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, , and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, according to ABC News, which reported both were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. ABC News also reported the crash occurred during a maintenance test flight in central . Earlier, Aerotime reported that the had not disclosed the purpose of the flight, that the names were withheld pending notification of next of kin, and that the remains were taken to Carl R. Darnall Medical Center. The aircraft was an , according to Fox News, Biztoc and the Daily Mail; ABC News described it as an , and Aerotime reported it as an . Aerotime reported that Fort Hood said the aircraft was an assigned to the installation, which hosts the 1st Cavalry Division. Fox News reported the helicopter was based at Fort Hood, and the Daily Mail reported it originated from the base there. ABC News and Aerotime identified the operator as the . Registry records list one aircraft under the ; the aircraft involved has not been identified. Apache attack helicopters are two-seater aircraft. The crash happened at , according to Fox News, or according to the Daily Mail, or according to Aerotime; ABC News put it . Aerotime reported the Bell County Sheriff's Office began receiving 911 calls reporting a helicopter down about half a mile west of the 16400 block of Kuykendall Road, and that the people aboard were pronounced dead at 14:30. Fox News reported deaths and no injuries; ABC News, the Daily Mail and Biztoc also reported people killed, and Aerotime reported crew killed, people aboard, no ground fatalities and no injuries. The helicopter crashed in a grassy field about 30 miles from Fort Hood, according to all five outlets. The Bell County Sheriff's Office said the helicopter went down and that no buildings or structures were damaged. The crash sparked a grass fire that officers described as "out of control" when they arrived, prompting evacuations and road closures near Salado. Salado Fire/Bell County ESD #1 crews battled what was described as a "major grass fire" along FM 2843, which the department reported was impassable, and a Bell County spokesman said the fire remained uncontrolled as of 4 p.m. ET. The A&M Forest Service said the blaze had spread to cover about 100 acres and was zero percent contained; Aerotime reported the fire burned more than 150 acres and forced evacuations south of Fort Hood. Accounts of who is leading the investigation differ. ABC News reported that the said a safety investigation team from the Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, arrived Thursday, August 13, and is leading the investigation. Fox News reported that a spokesman, Coleman, said Fort Hood is leading the investigation and that the cause has not been released, and the Daily Mail also reported that Fort Hood is leading it. ABC News reported that the sheriff's office confirmed the aircraft was an Apache military helicopter but would not confirm where it came from or where it was going. No finding has been established.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Terrain elevation
614 ft
Nearest aerodrome
1.8 miles N of Salado Airport (73TA)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 515 Aug 2026, 00:19current

    No new facts received; headline and dek added and wording tightened, with the conflicting investigation-lead and aircraft-type accounts unchanged.

  2. Version 414 Aug 2026, 19:19

    Added the Army's identification of the two pilots and their unit, ABC News reporting that the crash occurred during a maintenance test flight, and the Army Combat Readiness Center safety team's arrival on August 13; dropped the 'still developing' framing.

  3. Version 313 Aug 2026, 10:04

    Added Aerotime reporting (AH-64E designation and Fort Hood statement, 1st Cavalry Division, 14:30 pronouncement, Kuykendall Road 911 calls, 150-acre fire figure, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, next-of-kin notification, undisclosed flight purpose, differing cause status) and corrected the operator fleet count to one.

  4. Version 213 Aug 2026, 00:46

    Added Daily Mail reporting (aircraft type, timing, Fort Hood origin, FM 2843 impassable) and Texas A&M Forest Service fire size of about 100 acres at zero percent containment; corrected Army registry fleet count to four.

  5. Version 113 Aug 2026, 00:17

    First published.

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