According to reports from August 12, a US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down near Fort Hood in central Texas that day, claiming the lives of both crew members aboard. The crash ignited a large patch of grassland, forcing a few nearby households to evacuate temporarily.
Fort Hood officials confirmed the downed aircraft was an AH-64 Apache. Cliff Coleman, spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, stated that both individuals on board perished, and the helicopter did not strike any homes or structures upon impact.
Scene of the crash site
A US military official, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Associated Press that the helicopter was on a routine training mission. The cause of the incident has yet to be disclosed, and the Criminal Investigation Division at Fort Hood has taken the lead in probing the matter.
Photos from the scene reveal a charred crash site, with flames still licking at the wreckage and thick smoke billowing as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control. Coleman described it as clearly “a violent crash.” Aerial firefighting assets were also deployed to drop retardant over the surrounding area.
The AH-64 Apache stands as one of the US military’s primary attack helicopters, with the first models entering service back in 1984. Typically flown by a crew of two, the pilot sits in the rear seat while the co-pilot and gunner occupy the front.
Fort Hood serves as a pivotal training and deployment hub for heavy US forces. Back in November 2015, a Black Hawk helicopter from the base crashed during a drill, killing four soldiers. Then in 2016, nine Fort Hood troops lost their lives when a military vehicle was swept away by swollen creek waters.