Story perspectives

Apache Crash Kills Two Soldiers, Starts 155-Acre Fire

8/14/2026

Summary

Story summary

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead died when their Apache crashed near Salado, Texas, on Aug. 12 at 1:40 p.m. during a maintenance test flight.
The impact ignited the Dove Hollow Fire, which burned about 155 acres before firefighters contained it.
Five homes and nine outbuildings were threatened.
A Combat Readiness Center safety team arrived on Aug. 13, prompting Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral to offer condolences.

History

Historical Context

Early-1990s Army helicopter losses, such as the 29 November 1992 Black Hawk crash at Fort Hood that killed seven soldiers and the 22 July 1992 Apache crash on Colorado’s Mount Baldy, spurred the service to tighten maintenance oversight. Those reforms remain relevant as today’s Apache test flight near Salado, Texas, ended in a fatal crash.

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Story summary

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead died when their Apache crashed near Salado, Texas, on Aug. 12 at 1:40 p.m. during a maintenance test flight.
The impact ignited the Dove Hollow Fire, which burned about 155 acres before firefighters contained it.
Five homes and nine outbuildings were threatened.
A Combat Readiness Center safety team arrived on Aug. 13, prompting Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral to offer condolences.

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