Two U.S. Army soldiers have been killed after an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashed in central Texas, authorities and the military have confirmed.
The helicopter, reportedly based at Fort Hood, went down in a field near Salado in Bell County on Wednesday afternoon, triggering a major emergency response and a large fire at the crash site. Both crew members were pronounced dead at the scene.
Emergency responders were alerted to the crash shortly after 1:30pm local time. When law enforcement officers arrived, they found the wreckage engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading rapidly through the surrounding fields.
Multiple fire departments were called in to contain the blaze, while authorities secured the area and began initial efforts to recover the wreckage.
The US Army confirmed the deaths but said the identities of the soldiers would not immediately be released, pending notification of their families.
The cause of the crash remains unknown and is now the subject of an investigation. Military officials have urged the public to allow investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident as emergency and recovery operations continue.
The crash has cast a pall over Fort Hood, one of the US Army’s major installations and a key centre for military aviation training and operations.
The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine attack helicopter operated by the US Army and designed for a range of missions, including armed reconnaissance, close combat and precision strikes. It is operated by a two-person crew, consisting of a pilot and a co-pilot/gunner.
Wednesday’s crash is the latest fatal incident involving a US military aircraft to raise renewed attention on aviation safety, though investigators have yet to determine whether mechanical failure, human error, weather or another factor played any role in the Texas crash.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing as officials work to secure the site, recover evidence and determine what caused the helicopter to go down.
