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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Two people on board an AH-64 Apache were killed when a military helicopter crashed in a field near Salado, Texas , prompting evacuations as a grass fire spread through the area, according to local authorities.
The Bell County Sheriff's Office said the helicopter went down shortly after 1:30 p.m. and that both people aboard were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said no homes or structures were struck in the crash, but residents near the site were evacuated because of a large wildfire sparked by the impact.
"You could tell it was a violent crash,” Cliff Coleman, spokesman for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters.
Fort Hood confirmed the aircraft was an Apache attack helicopter assigned to the installation. The crash occurred during a routine training flight, a military official told reporters. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
“Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts,” said Brigadier General Ethan Diven, acting commander of 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood. “Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information.”
After the crash, Republican Senator John Cornyn of 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. I am grateful for the military and civilian first responders who are on the scene."
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Army via its contact page on Wednesday night for comment.
The helicopter involved in Wednesday's fatal crash was based at Fort Hood, one of the U.S. Army's largest and most strategically important military installations. Located near Killeen in Central Texas, the post serves as the headquarters of III Armored Corps and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division, making it a major hub for armored warfare, aviation operations and combat readiness training.
The installation, which spans nearly 215,000 acres (336 square miles) and was established during World War II, serves as a major hub for Army aviation operations and training, including missions involving AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.
The post has also been at the center of a high-profile naming debate in recent years. Renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023 in honor of Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, the Army's first Hispanic four-star general, the installation was redesignated as Fort Hood in 2025. The current name honors Colonel Robert B. Hood, a decorated World War I officer, rather than Confederate General John Bell Hood, for whom the base was originally named.
Four soldiers were killed in 2015 when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise. In 2016, nine Fort Hood soldiers died when a rain-swollen creek swept their vehicle into rushing waters.
The AH-64 Apache is one of the U.S. Army's primary attack helicopters and has been a cornerstone of American military aviation since 1986. Designed for combat operations, the twin-engine aircraft is used for reconnaissance, close-air support, and precision strike missions. Apache helicopters have been deployed in major U.S. military operations around the world and are known for their ability to operate in a wide range of weather conditions and battlefield environments.
The Apache's two-person crew sits in tandem cockpits, with the pilot positioned in the rear seat and the co-pilot/gunner seated in front, where they share responsibility for operating the aircraft and its weapons systems.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
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