Army grounds Apache training flights after Fort Hood crash

Army grounds Apache helicopter training flights after deadly Fort Hood crash

The temporary pause on training flights comes two days after two soldiers died during a maintenance test flight.

The Army is temporarily halting all Apache helicopter training flights after two soldiers were killed in a crash this week.

On Friday afternoon, the Army said leaders ordered a “temporary stand-down of AH64 Apache training flight operations.” The announcement came two days after an AH-64E Apache from 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood crashed during a maintenance test flight.

“The stand-down will remain in effect until we have a better understanding of the root cause of the accident,” the statement said. “We currently have no additional information to share.”

The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center is investigating the cause of the crash.

The Apache crashed roughly 30 miles away from the base, in Salado, Texas. The crash killed Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, two pilots assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

The two-seater attack helicopter has been in service since the 1980s and has been updated to deal with changing tactics and weapons.

Wednesday’s crash was the latest in several military aviation mishaps inside the United States over the last four months. The crashes have involved aircraft from across the military and some have been fatal.