Army will resume Apache helicopter training flights Wednesday

The Army will resume training operations of its Apache fleet Wednesday after a brief pause following an accident that killed two Fort Hood soldiers.

The Army grounded its AH-64 Apache helicopters from training flights on Friday to get “a better understanding of the root cause of the accident” in Texas on Aug. 12. The cause is still undetermined as an investigation is ongoing, an Army official said Monday. The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Ala., is leading the investigation. 

Since the training pause, the service has been reviewing and assessing its Apache helicopters for safety concerns, the official said.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead were killed in the maintenance test flight when their aircraft went down in Salado, about 30 miles east of Fort Hood.

Both men were from the local Fort Hood community and were assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division’s Air Cavalry Brigade.

The Army has used the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter for more than 40 years. The pilot sits in the rear of the aircraft, and the co-pilot gunner sits in the front position.