Army identifies 2 Fort Hood helicopter pilots killed in Apache crash

By JIM VERTUNO

The Army on Friday identified the two Fort Hood helicopter pilots who were killed when their Apache crashed during a maintenance test flight in central Texas.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas, died when the helicopter crashed in a grassy field Wednesday near Salado, about 30 miles from Fort Hood. They were the only two people on board.

No cause of the crash was released. A safety investigation team from the Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, arrived Thursday and is leading the investigation, the Army said.

Huey entered the Army in 2014 and Olmstead entered in 2023. They were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

“Our hearts and deepest condolences are with the families of the Soldiers we lost Wednesday,” said Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood commanding general. “The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community.”

Fort Hood is a massive base with 214,968 acres that is used to train and deploy heavy forces. 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 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 one behind the other with the pilot in the rear and the co-pilot gunner in the front position.