US Army Grounds Apaches: How Attack Helicopter's Safety Record Compares

The U.S. Army has temporarily halted training flights for its AH-64 Apache attack helicopters following a deadly crash at Fort Hood, Texas. Two soldiers were killed when the helicopter plummeted from the sky near Salado, Texas, during a routine training mission. The Army is awaiting a complete understanding of the accident's root cause before lifting the pause.

The deceased pilots have been identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25. The crash prompted a wildfire evacuation, yet the helicopter did not strike any homes or structures, though it resulted in a "violent crash," according to Bell County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Cliff Coleman.

This incident follows a string of serious Apache mishaps in recent years. In March 2024, two Apaches crashed in separate training incidents at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington and Fort Carson in Colorado, both crew members sustaining injuries. February 2024 saw another tragic event at Fort Hood, Mississippi, where two AH-64 Apache aviators were killed during a routine training flight; the Army subsequently implemented a helicopter safety stand-down.

Earlier that month, a Utah Army National Guard Apache crashed near West Jordan, injuring two pilots.

The Army's safety stand-down echoes a series of serious military aviation mishaps. In May 2023, an AH-64 Apache from Joint Base Lewis-McChord crashed during training, injuring two soldiers. April 2023 witnessed two AH-64 Apaches from Fort Wainwright collide near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. May 2023's Washington incident saw an Apache from Joint Base Lewis-McChord crash at Yakima Training Center, again injuring two soldiers. February 2021's Alabama crash at Hooper Stagefield near Fort Rucker injured both crew members.