Two U.S. Army soldiers died Wednesday afternoon when an Apache attack helicopter from Fort Hood crashed into a field near Salado, Texas. Both people on board were pronounced dead at the scene around 2:30 p.m. local time, according to Bell County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Bill Coleman.
Coleman said the helicopter went down in an open field and did not strike any homes or other structures. "You could tell this was a violent crash," he said.
The aircraft was an AH-64 Apache, confirmed by Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, the acting commanding general at Fort Hood. In a statement, Diven said the Army's immediate focus was on securing the crash site and supporting the response. "Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information," he said.
No cause for the crash was immediately available. The Army said the names of the victims would not be released until 24 hours after their families had been notified.
The crash also started a wildfire. As of 3:30 p.m. local time, Coleman said the fire was still burning out of control.
Fort Hood is located near Killeen, Texas, roughly 70 miles north of Austin and slightly northwest of Salado.
