FirstAlerts
Plane Crashes

Two Crew Killed in U.S. Army Apache Helicopter Crash Near Salado, Texas

GlobalSecurity.org reported the AH-64 crashed into a field around 1:35 p.m. on August 12, sparking a wildfire that forced evacuations; the cause has not been determined.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 13, 2026, 7:23 a.m. ETWritten Aug 13, 2026, 7:35 a.m. ET
crew members were killed when a crashed near , Texas, on August 12, 2026, at , according to a report by globalsecurity.org. The situation is developing and details remain preliminary. The outlet reported that people were on board and that both crew members died. Bell County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Cliff Coleman said the helicopter crashed into a field and described it as a violent crash. According to the same report, a wildfire sparked by the crash forced the evacuation of several homes, and the helicopter was based at nearby Fort Hood, a major base. The cause has not been determined. Globalsecurity.org reported that an investigation into the incident was launched and that emergency response efforts were underway. The aircraft involved has not been identified. Registry records list three aircraft under the as operator; that is not an identification of the aircraft in this crash. Geographic reference data places in Bell County, Texas, at a settlement elevation of 614 feet, about 1.8 miles south of Airport (73TA) — the elevation is that of the town, not of the accident site. Weather observations recorded at Skylark Field (KILE), 13.1 miles away and 21 minutes from the reported time of the crash, showed wind from 170 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies and a temperature of 95°F. Those are instrument readings and are not stated to have any bearing on what happened.

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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 Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.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 113 Aug 2026, 11:35current

    First published.

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