Topline
An attack helicopter from the U.S. Army base Fort Hood crashed near the installation Wednesday, according to multiple reports, killing both of its pilots.
Key Facts
The crash triggered a blaze that has burned about 100 acres of land north of Austin, Texas, according to data from the Texas A&M Forest Service Incident Viewer.
Cliff Coleman, a spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters the helicopter landed in a field, calling it a “violent crash.”
The helicopter involved in the crash is the AH-64 Apache, which carries a pilot and a co-pilot and is meant for reconnaissance, attacks on armored targets and aerial support for ground troops.
The crash took place around 1:35 p.m. local time and the pilots were pronounced dead nearly an hour later, Coleman said.
Forbes has reached out to the Army for comment.
What We Don’t Know
It is unclear where the helicopter was going or what the reason for its deployment was. Coleman deferred several questions about the situation to Army authorities at Fort Hood who are investigating the crash.
Key Background
Foot Hood spans over 218,000 acres and is used to train active-duty troops and armored vehicle crews. Nearly 40,000 soldiers are stationed at the base, according to the Army’s website, and it is the only Army installation with the capacity to station and train two armored divisions. Apache helicopters like the one that crashed Wednesday have been used in the war against Iran, which has likely increased training activity for pilots and movements of the aircraft within U.S. airspace. A spike in military aircraft accidents occurred in 2024, according to an Associated Press report that cited internal Pentagon figures, with the rate of severe accidents per 100,000 flight hours jumping 55% in the 2024 budget year compared to the four previous years. The Army had the second-most accidents that year, though the Marines’ rate was nearly double that of the Army, Air Force and Navy.
Further Reading
Data shows a spike in military aircraft accidents in 2024. This year doesn’t look any better (Forbes)
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.