On Wednesday, the U.S. military newspaper, Stars & Stripes, reported that two U.S. service members have perished in the crash of an AH-64 attack helicopter based at Fort Hood, Texas. The crash took place in Salado, Texas.
BREAKING: Two people have died after an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter based at Fort Hood crashed in Salado, Texas.
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) August 12, 2026
What we know:https://t.co/LSxqruS2zj pic.twitter.com/RDkMwQKGxF
The publication also ran a breaking article on the crash:
Two people have died after a military helicopter crashed Wednesday in Salado, Texas. The helicopter was an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter based at Fort Hood, the installation wrote in a press release.
“Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts,” said Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, acting commander of 1st Cavalry Division. “Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information.”
The crash caused a grass fire and resulted in road closures, according to FOX 44, a local station in Waco. Local emergency teams and military responders are actively assisting at the scene, according to the press release.
The AH-64 is an Army attack helicopter that carries a crew of two. It is not clear what the helicopter's mission was in the air at that time. Presumably the aircraft and crew were on a training mission, but as of this writing neither Fort Hood, Texas, nor the Department of War has said anything about that.
Fort Hood's official press release on the crash may be viewed here.
This is a developing story. We will bring you more information as it becomes available.
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