AH-64 Apache Crash at Fort Hood Leaves Two Dead

During the crash of a AH-64 Apache combat helicopter near the Fort Hood base of the U.S. Army in Texas on the early Wednesday afternoon of this week, both crew members were killed. The crash in a field in Bell County, about 30 kilometers from Fort Hood, also triggered a grass fire due to the prevailing dryness, threatening five residential houses. Through the deployment of over 200 firefighters from Bell County and surrounding counties, the fire was under control by Thursday afternoon. Only one outbuilding burned down.

The names and the unit of the deceased crew were not disclosed at first. At Fort Hood are stationed the headquarters of the III Armored Corps as well as, among others, the 1st Cavalry Division. This division includes the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade with the 1st Battalion (Attack), 227th Aviation Regiment, which has three companies with AH-64E. This version, originally designated AH-64D Block III, has borne the official name Apache Guardian since the renaming in 2012.