FirstAlerts
Plane Crashes

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

RT reported that both crew members aboard a Fort Hood-based Apache helicopter died in a crash on August 12, 2026, that also started a grass fire; the cause has not been determined.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 12, 2026, 6:35 p.m. ETWritten Aug 12, 2026, 9:49 p.m. ET
crew members were killed when a helicopter crashed near , Texas, at on August 12, 2026, according to reporting by RT. The outlet reported no deaths on the ground and no injuries. The situation is developing and details may change. RT reported that the helicopter was based at the Fort Hood military installation and did not strike any buildings or other structures. The crash sparked an uncontrolled grass fire that spread across roughly 100 acres, and the Texas A&M Forest Service said the fire was about 45% contained by 5pm , according to RT. Authorities ordered evacuations in the area around the crash site. The cause has not been determined. RT reported that it remains unclear where the helicopter was coming from or where it was headed. The specific aircraft involved has not been identified. Registry records list aircraft under the as operator; those records are not an identification of the aircraft in this crash. Geographic reference data places in Bell County, Texas, at a settlement elevation of 614 ft, about 1.8 miles south of Airport (73TA) and 4.1 miles southwest of Bluffs Airport (TT61); that locates the town, not the crash site. 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° at 10 kt, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies and a temperature of 95°F. The observation is an instrument reading and is 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 Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.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, 01:49current

    First published.

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