An Apache helicopter of the US Army crashed in a central Texas field on Wednesday (local time), killing both people aboard and sparking a wildfire that forced the evacuation of several homes.A video from the site showed rescue workers and firefighters walking through a charred field as plumes of dark smoke rose from flames still burning around the wreckage.Officials at nearby Fort Hood confirmed that an AH-64 Apache had crashed. Cliff Coleman, spokesman for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed the deaths of both occupants and described the incident as a “violent crash.”The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Fort Hood’s criminal investigation division was leading the inquiry, Coleman added.The helicopter did not strike any homes or other structures when it crashed, he noted.According to another military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Apache was on a routine training flight when the incident occurred.Fort Hood is a massive military installation spanning 214,968 acres (336 square miles) and is used to train and deploy heavy forces. The US Army describes the rolling, arid terrain around the base as an “ideal training ground.”The base has seen other fatal training accidents. In November 2015, four soldiers died when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during an exercise. In 2016, nine Fort Hood soldiers were killed after a rain-swollen creek swept their vehicle into rushing waters.The AH-64 Apache has been a key part of the US military’s fleet since the first versions entered service in 1984. Its two-person crew sits in tandem, with the pilot in the rear and the co-pilot/gunner in the front.
