FirstAlerts

Two Army Crew Members Killed in AH-64 Apache Crash Near Salado, Texas

Military.com reported both crew members aboard the U.S. Army helicopter died in the August 12 crash, which sparked a grass fire; the cause has not been determined.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 12, 2026, 5:36 p.m. ETWritten Aug 12, 2026, 10:53 p.m. ET
crew members were killed when a helicopter crashed near , on August 12, 2026, at , according to Military.com. The outlet reported people were aboard and that there were no fatalities on the ground. The event is developing and details remain incomplete. The Bell County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about the crash after 1:30 p.m. , according to Military.com's reporting. The crash sparked a grass fire that was described as "out of control" by the time Bell County deputies arrived. No buildings or structures were damaged. Military.com noted the has seats for crew members, a pilot in the rear and a co-pilot/gunner in front. Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, acting commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division, said the immediate priority was securing the site. The cause of the crash has not been determined and the investigation is open. Weather observations recorded at Skylark Field (KILE), 13.1 miles away and 21 minutes from the reported time of the crash, show wind from 170 degrees at 10 knots, visibility of 10 statute miles, clear skies and a temperature of 95°F. The observation is an instrument reading and is not a stated or established factor in the crash. According to geographic reference data, Salado is in Bell County, Texas, at a settlement elevation of 614 feet, 1.8 miles south of Salado Airport (73TA) and 4.1 miles southwest of Salado Bluffs Airport (TT61). That data locates the settlement only, not the accident site.

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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 Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.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, 02:53current

    First published.

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