US army helicopter crashes in Texas, killing two people and sparking wildfire

An army Apache helicopter crashed in a central Texas field on Wednesday, killing both people on board and sparking a wildfire that forced several homes to be evacuated, a sheriff’s official said.Officials from nearby Fort Hood announced that the AH-64 Apache helicopter had crashed. Cliff Coleman, spokesperson for the Bell county sheriff’s office, confirmed that both occupants had died.A military official told the Associated Press that the crashed Apache had been out on a routine training flight when it went down. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a developing situation.A tanker aircraft dumps fire retardant on a field south-west of Salado, Texas, after a military helicopter crashed and sparked a grass fire, on 12 August. Photograph: Brent Johnson/The Killeen Daily Herald/APNo cause was immediately announced. Fort Hood’s criminal investigation division was leading the crash investigation, Coleman said.Fort Hood is a large base with 214,968 acres (86,994 hectares) used to train and deploy heavy forces. The army says the rolling, arid terrain around the base provides an ideal training ground.In November 2015, four soldiers were killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise. And nine Fort Hood soldiers died in 2016 when a rain-swollen creek swept their vehicle into rushing waters.The helicopter did not hit any homes or other structures when it crashed, Coleman said.“You could tell it was a violent crash,” Coleman said. Photographs from the scene showed firefighters walking around a charred field as plumes of dark smoke rose from flames still burning in the wreckage.“Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts,” said Brig Gen Ethan Diven, acting commanding general. “Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information.”The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter has been a key part of the military’s fleet since the first versions were deployed in 1984. The Apache crew sits behind each other with the pilot in the rear and the co-pilot gunner in the front position.