Two soldiers were killed when a U.S. Army Apache helicopter from Fort Hood crashed in Salado, Texas, on Wednesday, the Army and local law enforcement officials said.
Bell County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Bill Coleman said two pilots were on board the helicopter and were pronounced dead at the scene around 2:30 p.m. local time. Coleman said the helicopter crashed into a field and didn’t hit any homes or other structures.
“You could tell this was a violent crash,” he said.
On Friday, the Army identified the pilots as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas.
Bell County Sheriff’s Office
The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter was based out of Fort Hood, Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, acting commanding general, confirmed in a statement.
“Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday,” said Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood commanding general. “The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community.”
There was no immediate information provided about a possible cause of the crash.
Coleman said the crash also sparked a wildfire, which was still burning out of control as of about 3:30 p.m. local time.
Brent Johnson/The Killeen Daily Herald via AP
Fort Hood is located near Killeen, Texas, slightly northwest of Salado and roughly 70 miles north of Austin.