US Army resumes Apache training flights after fatal crash pause

The U.S. Army has resumed AH-64 Apache training flights, days after suspending the program following a fatal crash near Fort Hood, Texas. The accident happened on August 12 near Salado, roughly 30 miles from the base, and killed both soldiers aboard.

The victims were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25. Both were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, part of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade. Training was halted on August 14 while the Army examined safety procedures and flight operations.

In a statement given to the Associated Press, the Army said the pause allowed for a thorough review before flights resumed. Officials expressed condolences to the families and colleagues of the soldiers killed, describing the loss as deeply felt across the aviation community.

The cause of the crash has not been determined. It remains under investigation by the Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

This is not the first time the Army has grounded aviation units after a deadly accident. In 2023, the service paused all aviation operations for additional training after twelve deaths in separate helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky.

No further details on the review's findings, or on specific changes to training procedures, have been released.