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Plane CrashesVersion 2

Army Identifies Two Pilots Killed in Apache Helicopter Crash Near Salado, Texas

Fort Hood named the two pilots killed in the Aug. 12 crash, which sparked a wildfire and prompted evacuations; the cause has not been determined.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 14, 2026, 6:38 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 an Army Apache attack helicopter crashed near , on Aug. 12, 2026, at , according to reporting by whmi.com. The outlet reported no injuries beyond the deaths. The aircraft was described as an and as an in reporting by whmi.com, which gave both designations; the available reporting does not establish which designation is correct, and this account does not choose between them. Fort Hood confirmed the aircraft was an based at the installation, and identified the pilots killed as Chief Warrant Officer Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead. In its earlier coverage, before the names were released, whmi.com reported that the identities of the people killed had not been released. The aircraft involved has not been identified by registration; registry records list four aircraft under the as operator, which is not an identification of the aircraft in this crash. whmi.com reported that the helicopter crashed into a field near Salado, roughly 30 minutes from Fort Hood, and that the crash sparked a wildfire that forced evacuations and road closures and required a large emergency response. Salado Fire/Bell County ESD #1 said crews were battling a "major grass fire" along FM 2843. The cause has not been determined. Accounts of who is leading the inquiry differ in whmi.com's reporting: Fort Hood said a safety investigation team from the Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, arrived Aug. 13 and "will lead the safety investigation of the mishap," while a speaker the outlet identified only by the surname Coleman, without title or affiliation, said Fort Hood is leading the investigation into the crash. The cause has not been released. Weather observations recorded at Skylark Field (KILE), 13.1 miles away and 22 minutes from the reported time of the crash, show 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 the crash. Geographic reference data places Salado in Bell County, Texas, at a settlement elevation of 614 ft, with Salado Airport (73TA) 1.8 miles away and Salado Bluffs Airport (TT61) 4.1 miles away; that data locates the town, not the crash 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 214 Aug 2026, 22:38current

    Replaced "the fact set does not resolve which is correct" with plain-language wording about what the reporting does and does not establish, while still naming both aircraft designations and declining to pick one. Replaced the ambiguous "Earlier in the response" with "In its earlier coverage, before the names were released," clarifying that this refers to whmi.com's earlier reporting. All figures, codes, quotations, attributions and both sourced conflicts (aircraft designation and investigation lead) are unchanged.

  2. Version 113 Aug 2026, 04:58

    First published.

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