2 Army soldiers killed in Apache attack helicopter crash near Fort Hood

The cause of the helicopter crash has not been confirmed; the identities of the victims are expected to be released Thursday.

Two soldiers were killed Wednesday when a U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter crashed in a field south of Fort Hood, sparking a large grass fire, officials say.

Cliff Coleman, public information officer for the Bell County Sheriff's Office, said the agency began receiving 911 calls at about 1:34 p.m. about a helicopter crash and a large fire along the 16500 block of Kuykendall Branch Road about a half-mile west of Interstate 35 and south of Salado.

Coleman said deputies with the Bell County Sheriff's Office arrived and confirmed the crash and an "out-of-control fire."

Officials with the Army Post confirmed Wednesday afternoon that an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter had crashed and that two soldiers were killed. No other injuries were reported after the crash.

The deceased service members will be transported to the Post's Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, and their identities will be released Thursday after their families have been notified of their deaths.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and fellow Troopers of those involved during this incredibly difficult time," said Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, 1st Cavalry Division, acting commanding general.

Coleman said earlier in the afternoon that a Bell County justice of the peace pronounced the occupants of the helicopter dead at about 2:30 p.m.

“You could tell it was a violent crash,” Coleman said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

The cause of the crash has not been confirmed, and Fort Hood's Criminal Investigation Division is leading the investigation.

Bell County Emergency Services District 1 said Farm-to-Market Road 2843, north of the crash site and about 15 miles south of the Army Post, was impassable because of the major grass fire. Officials asked people in the area to avoid driving through the area or around emergency vehicles. No structures or buildings were damaged, but several homes in the area have been evacuated as a precaution.

At about 5 p.m., officials said the fire had burned about 100 acres. Coleman said during a news conference at about 3 p.m. Wednesday that several fire departments were working on the fire but that it was not contained.

The Boeing-built Apache attack helicopter was first built in 1984 and is used by the U.S. Army and at least 18 other partner countries. The helicopter carries a crew of two, can climb to 20,000 feet, and can fly more than 170 mph. According to Boeing, the Apache is expected to be in production into the 2030s and will be the world's primary attack helicopter into the 2060s.