Army Resumes Apache Training Flights Following Fatal Texas Crash

The U.S. Army announced Wednesday it will restart Apache helicopter training missions after a freeze in the wake of a crash in Texas last week that took the lives of two soldiers.

The Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, is still investigating the cause of the Aug. 12 crash, which took place near Fort Hood, Texas.

Military officials stopped Apache training flights beginning Aug. 14, with the decision to continue the training “after a thorough review of safety procedures and flight operations,” the Army said in a statement.

“We remain deeply saddened by the loss of our service members. Our thoughts are with their families, loved ones, and fellow Soldiers as we honor their service and the lasting impact they had on the Army community,” it said.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas, were killed in the crash, the Army said last week. 

They were the only ones on board when the helicopter crashed in a grassy field in the vicinity of the Salado, which is located about 30 miles from Fort Hood.

Fort Hood is a sprawling base spread across 214,968 acres primarily used to train and deploy forces.

The base is no stranger to tragedy. In November 2015, four soldiers based there were killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise. In 2016, nine Fort Hood soldiers died when rushing waters after widespread rains pulled their vehicle into a creek.

Huey joined the Army in 2014 and Olmstead in 2023. They were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

Both men hail from the local Fort Hood community. Huey’s home is Killeen, Texas, and Olmstead’s is Belton, Texas.

The military also paused training following past crashes. Three years ago, 12 soldiers died in separate crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, leading the Army to ground all aviation units until additional training had been completed by its personnel. 

The Apache attack helicopter has been in operation since 1984, with more than 5,000 Apaches having been deployed by the U.S. military and its allies.

In the ongoing conflict with Iran, the helicopters have been deployed around the Strait of Hormuz as part of ongoing measures to ensure the navigation channel remains open for international maritime traffic. In the conflict, one Apache crashed after an attack by an Iranian drone, prompting a slew of self-defense strikes against Iran. 

Officials confirmed that the training pause only applied to domestic flights, with combat operations continuing without interruption.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.