An AH-64 Apache helicopter, assigned to a unit based at Hood base, crashed near Salado village at 13h35 on 12/8. The incident caused no damage to people or infrastructure on the ground, but both crew members died.
"It went down in a field and you can see it was a violent impact," said Cliff Coleman, spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff's Office in Texas. Scene video showed the helicopter burned on the ground with debris scattered across the field, as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze.
The crash sparked a large, uncontrolled fire that burned vegetation across an area exceeding 400,000 square meters, prompting officials to issue evacuation orders. Emergency responders took over 3 hours to contain about 45% of the fire.
The helicopter's mission at the time of the incident is unknown. The cause of the crash and the identities of the two pilots have not been released. Hood base officials are conducting an investigation.
As of early 2025, the US Army possessed a total of 750 Apache helicopters, including 160 AH-64D and 590 advanced AH-64E aircraft. Each AH-64D helicopter costs 31-35 million USD, while the AH-64E typically has a factory cost of 35 million USD. Including component costs, technical support, weaponry, and operational training, each AH-64D/E helicopter can cost up to 50-65 million USD.
"Improvements in situational awareness, flight performance, and combat coordination make the AH-64E the world's most advanced aerial combat platform," the US Army stated.
Similar to the A-10 attack aircraft, Apache helicopters are highly durable and equipped with multiple defense systems to enhance survivability. However, their advantages are fully realized only when US forces have complete air superiority, with no threats from enemy fighter jets or air defense missile systems.
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Apache helicopter wreckage on the ground in Texas, US on 12/8. *Photo: Bell County Sheriff's Office* |
This helicopter series has also experienced a string of incidents recently. In March, an AH-64E crashed during training at Rucker base in Alabama, US, injuring two crew members.
A month later, an Apache helicopter made an emergency landing in an Alabama field due to an in-flight malfunction. Also in April, a helicopter crashed at Hood base in Texas during a post-maintenance test flight.
In May, a US AH-64E helicopter also made an emergency landing in a rice field in Gyeonggi province, South Korea, where it remained stranded for several days.
A US Apache helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on 8/6; two pilots were later rescued by an unmanned surface vessel. President Donald Trump stated that an Iranian suicide drone "hit the cockpit and got stuck between the two pilots," while the helicopter was flying low over enemy territory.
According to him, the Iranian UAV caught fire but did not explode, and the crew eventually landed the aircraft on the sea surface. The US leader called the safe rescue of the two pilots "a miracle."
Pham Giang (According to CNN, NBC News, Fox News)
