Army names two Fort Hood pilots killed in Apache crash
The Army identified the two soldiers who died when an Apache helicopter crashed during a maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas, and launched a safety investigation.
The U.S. Army announced the identities of the two Fort Hood aviators who were killed when their AH-64 Apache crashed during a maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas, on Wednesday. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, were the only occupants of the aircraft, which went down in a grassy field about 30 miles from the base.
A safety investigation team from the Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, arrived the following day to lead the inquiry, though no cause of the crash has been released.
Huey joined the Army in 2014 and Olmstead in 2023; both were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
"Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday," said Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral III, commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood.
The incident adds to a series of past accidents at Fort Hood, which spans more than 214,000 acres and has previously seen fatalities in aircraft and vehicle incidents.