Two U.S. Army personnel have died after an AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed near the town of Salado in Texas, according to officials. The incident prompted an emergency response after debris from the military aircraft was discovered in a rural area.
Officials at Fort Hood confirmed that the helicopter went down in the Salado area. The crash site was located in fields south of the village, where emergency personnel reported finding the wreckage along with a large fire.
Local police were alerted to the crash at around 1:33 a.m. local time after receiving reports of helicopter debris in the fields south of Salado. Officers and emergency crews responding to the scene found the aircraft wreckage and significant flames.
The deaths of both military personnel aboard the helicopter have been confirmed. Authorities have not yet released their identities, saying the names will be made public after their families have been notified.
Officials have so far provided limited information about what the Apache helicopter was doing at the time of the crash. The exact cause of the accident has also not been disclosed, and an investigation is expected to determine what led to the aircraft going down.
The AH-64 Apache is one of the U.S. Army’s primary attack helicopters and is used for a range of military missions. Accidents involving military aircraft can require detailed investigations because officials examine flight operations, maintenance records, weather conditions and other possible factors.
The Texas crash comes about two months after another fatal U.S. military aviation accident. A B-52 bomber crashed in California, killing all eight people aboard, according to the information provided in the report. Further details about the Apache crash are expected as the investigation progresses.
