Two U.S. Army soldiers died after an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter crashed Wednesday in Salado, Texas, according to an update from the Army’s media center for Fort Hood.
The deceased service members were transported to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood. Their names are being withheld until 24 hours after families are notified.
Cliff Coleman, public information officer for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, said the helicopter avoided hitting houses but sparked a 155-acre fire that destroyed an outbuilding and forced five homes to evacuate. More than 200 firefighters from 22 agencies responded to the blaze, which Coleman said in a Facebook post Thursday was 100 percent contained but not fully controlled.
The sheriff’s office on Thursday afternoon shared aerial videos of the crash’s aftermath collected via helicopter. They depict a charred, smoking landscape resulting from the still-burning wreckage.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and fellow Troopers of those involved during this incredibly difficult time,” said Brigadier General Ethan Diven, acting commanding general of the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood.
The massive base is also home to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and First Army Division West. For three decades until 2025, it housed the 21st Cavalry Brigade, the Army’s sole collective training unit for the Apache.
Fort Hood’s criminal investigation division is working to determine the cause of the fatal crash, which was not immediately provided. A military official, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, said the helicopter was conducting a routine training flight.
In June, President Donald Trump said a U.S. Apache helicopter operating near the Strait of Hormuz was shot down by Iranian fire. U.S. Central Command said both helicopter pilots were rescued safely.
In January 2025, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training flight collided with a commercial passenger jet over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), killing 68 people. The tragedy prompted several actions by the Transportation Department, including the elimination of mixed traffic at the airport and recommendations for broader equipage of ADS-B.
Coleman on Thursday said the Bell County Sheriff’s Office received reports of the Apache crash shortly after 1:30 p.m. CDT Wednesday. Justice of the Peace Michael Tice pronounced both soldiers dead at 2:30 p.m.
“This tragedy hits close to home for me, as it does for many people throughout Bell County,” Coleman said. “We are neighbors to one of the nation’s largest military installations, and our agencies and communities work closely with its soldiers and personnel on many occasions.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbot wrote in a post on X: “Texas is forever indebted to those who serve our state and nation.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) posted on X that he is “praying for the families of the two Fort Hood soldiers killed today in the Apache helicopter crash near Salado, and for the entire Fort Hood community.”
Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) wrote on X: “My prayers are with the families of those lost in the Apache helicopter crash outside of Ft. Hood in Salado earlier today.”
