The U.S. Army on Friday identified Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas, as the pilots killed when their AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed Wednesday in a field near Salado, Texas.
The helicopter was engaged in a maintenance test flight at the time of the crash, which occurred about 30 miles from Fort Hood. Both pilots were the only occupants of the aircraft.
A safety investigation team from the Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, has arrived to lead the inquiry into the cause of the crash, for which no reason has yet been released.
Huey joined the Army in 2014, and Olmstead enlisted in 2023. They were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, offered condolences to the families of the fallen pilots. "The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community," he stated.
Fort Hood has previously experienced aviation and other training-related fatalities. In November 2015, four soldiers died in a Black Hawk helicopter crash during a training exercise. In 2016, nine soldiers lost their lives when their vehicle was swept away by a rain-swollen creek.
The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter has been a staple of the military's aviation fleet since its initial deployment in 1984. The aircraft features a tandem cockpit configuration, with the pilot seated in the rear and the co-pilot gunner in the front.