U.S. Army Halts Apache Helicopter Flights After Crash Near Fort Hood
The Army has temporarily suspended all AH-64 Apache training flights pending investigation of a crash that killed two soldiers near Fort Hood, Texas.
The U.S. Army announced on Friday that it is temporarily grounding all AH-64 Apache training flight operations following a crash near Fort Hood, Texas, earlier this week. The stand-down will remain in effect until investigators determine the cause of the accident, the Army said in a statement.
The two-seat Apache attack helicopter crashed during a maintenance test flight on Wednesday, killing Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25. The Army has not provided additional details about the incident.
A team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center is leading a safety investigation into the mishap. Recent data indicate that Apache helicopters have experienced a higher number of incidents compared with other aircraft in the Army’s fleet.