Two killed as US Army Apache helicopter crashes near Fort Hood

Two crew members died when a US Army AH-64E Apache helicopter went down in a field near Salado, Texas, on August 12, 2026, according to local authorities. The Bell County Sheriff's Office said it began receiving emergency calls around 1:34 p.m. local time reporting a helicopter down west of Kuykendall Road, south of Salado. Deputies arriving at the scene found the wreckage along with a fire already spreading out of control.

A sheriff's office spokesperson said the two occupants were pronounced dead shortly after the crash was reported. The helicopter came down in open ground, causing no injuries or damage to nearby structures, though the resulting fire burned more than 150 acres and prompted evacuations in the area.

Fort Hood, home to the Army's 1st Cavalry Division, confirmed the aircraft was an AH-64E Apache assigned to the base. The identities of the crew were being withheld pending notification of their families, and their remains were transported to the base's Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. The Army has not released information about the purpose of the flight or a possible cause of the crash, and an investigation is expected to follow standard military procedure.

The incident adds to a series of US military aviation losses over the past year, including the destruction of a US Air Force B-52H bomber at Edwards Air Force Base in June 2026, which killed all eight people aboard, and the loss of a US Marine Corps F-35B at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in July 2026, after its pilot ejected at low altitude.