U.S. Army Halts Apache Training Flights After Fatal Crash

2 hours ago 0

The U.S. Army temporarily grounded all AH-64 Apache training flights following the crash that killed two soldiers. This tragic incident occurred near Salado, Texas, during a routine training session and resulted in a wildfire that necessitated evacuations. The Bell County Sheriff’s Office reported the crash, noting the helicopter did not hit any buildings.

Pilot Identification

The two pilots who tragically lost their lives were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, aged 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, aged 25. The U.S. Army stated the flight stand-down will continue as they investigate the root cause of the accident.

Apache Incidents in Recent Years

This recent crash adds to a series of serious incidents involving AH-64 Apaches in recent years. These incidents have included fatal crashes as well as other training accidents that led to safety pauses.

March 2024, Colorado and Washington: Two Apache crashes in separate incidents at Fort Carson and Joint Base Lewis-McChord injured crew members.
February 2024, Mississippi: Two aviators from the Mississippi Army National Guard died when their Apache crashed near Booneville. A previous Utah mishap led to a helicopter safety stand-down.
February 2024, Utah: A crash near West Jordan injured two pilots.
April 2023, Alaska: A mid-air collision of two Apaches from Fort Wainwright resulted in three deaths and one injury. An earlier rollover incident in February injured two soldiers.
May 2023, Washington: An Apache crash during training at Yakima Training Center injured two soldiers.
February 2021, Alabama: An AH-64 Apache crashed near Fort Rucker, injuring both crew members.

Comparing Apache Accidents with Other U.S. Military Incidents

The Apache accidents form part of a broader context of U.S. military aviation mishaps over the past years. Here’s how these incidents compare with other accidents:

2026: Notable crashes include a KC-135 Stratotanker in Iraq, a B-52 Stratofortress at Edwards AFB, and an F/A-18 Hornet near Seattle.
2025: Crashes involved an F-35A Lightning II in Alaska and a UH-60 Black Hawk in Washington, D.C.
2024: A B-1B Lancer crash in South Dakota and another F-16C Fighting Falcon crash in New Mexico were significant.
2023: Incidents included a UH-60 Black Hawk crash near Alabama and a MV-22B Osprey crash in Australia.
Earlier Years: Crashes involved aircraft such as the KC-130T Hercules in 2017 and the B-52H Stratofortress in 2016.