Two pilots were the only people aboard the Apache
A safety investigation team from the Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama, arrived at the crash site Thursday to lead the inquiry into a Wednesday Apache helicopter crash near Salado, Texas, that killed two Fort Hood pilots during a maintenance test flight.
The helicopter went down in a grassy field about 30 miles from the Army post, according to the Army. The two pilots were the only people on board.
The Army on Friday identified the dead as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas. Huey entered the Army in 2014; Olmstead entered in 2023.
Both were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. “Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday,” Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, the III Armored Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, said. “The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community.”
The Army has not released a cause.