Two Pilots Who Died In Apache Helicopter Crash Outside Fort Hood Identified

Two pilots who died in a helicopter crash in Texas have been identified.

An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter based at Fort Hood crashed in Salado, Texas, on Wednesday, roughly 30 miles south-east of the base, according to the U.S. Army Fort Hood Media Center, causing the death of the two pilots on board, who officials pronounced dead at the scene.

On Aug. 14, officials identified the pilots as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 24, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Omstead, 25, both assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

Huey joined the Army in February 2014 as a motor transport operator and had been with the unit since February 2022, according to CBS Austin. Olmstead joined the Army in January 2023 as a warrant officer candidate. He had been assigned to the unit since October 2025.

Crash and Aftermath

Sheriffs from Bell County, where Salado is located, told local ABC 7 News that they received a 911 call about the crash after 1:30 p.m. local time.

Cliff Coleman, a spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, told CNN “it was a violent crash.”

Fort Hood officials said that local emergency response services, military responders and law enforcement professionals responded to the scene.

The crash caused a fire which burned some 155 acres in Bell County. Firefighters contained the fire on Thursday by 5 p.m. local time, according to CNN, citing the Texas A&M Forest Service Incident Viewer.

Messages of Support

The crash and lives lost drew condolences across themilitary and political world.

“Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the soldiers we lost Wednesday,” said Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, in a statement. “The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community.”

He added that chaplains and other officials would be available for people affected.

“In the difficult days ahead, our priority is to ensure these families and our soldiers have the care and support they need,” he said. “We are making all appropriate resources available to those affected by this loss.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered his condolences to the pilot’s families in a post on X.

“Join Cecilia and me in prayer for their families and the entire Fort Hood community. Texas is forever indebted to those who serve our state and nation,” Abbott wrote.

Fort Hood personnel are still working in coordination with local law enforcement and U.S. Army investigative agencies on the scene to determine what happened in the incident.

The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.