SALADO, Texas — The U.S. Army has identified the two Fort Hood soldiers who d1ed after an AH-64E Apache attack helicopter cr4shed near Salado, Texas, during a maintenance test flight earlier this week.
The soldiers were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas. Fort Hood released their identities Friday, August 14, after their families had been notified.
According to Fort Hood, the Apache experienced what the Army described as a “mishap” at approximately 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, August 12, while conducting a maintenance test flight near Salado, roughly 30 miles from the military installation.
Both Deontre T. Huey and Seth L. Olmstead were the only soldiers aboard the aircraft. Neither survived the cr4sh. Local authorities said both men were pronounced d3ad at approximately 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The Bell County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call shortly after 1:30 p.m. reporting a plume of smoke and a possible aircraft cr4sh. Emergency crews subsequently located the helicopter in a field near Dove Hollow Lane.
The impact ignited a large grass fire that became known as the Dove Hollow Fire. Updated reports indicate the fire burned approximately 155 acres before firefighters brought it under control.
More than 200 firefighters representing 22 agencies participated in the emergency response.
Fort Hood confirmed that both pilots were assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey had a home of record in Killeen. He entered the U.S. Army in February 2014, initially serving as a motor transport operator, and had been assigned to his current unit since February 2022.
Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, whose home of record was Belton, entered the Army in January 2023 as a warrant officer candidate. He had served with the unit involved in Wednesday’s flight since October 2025.
Following confirmation of the soldiers’ identities, Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, expressed condolences to their families and fellow soldiers.
Admiral said the loss was being felt throughout the Army community and emphasized that chaplains, support personnel and other resources were being made available to those affected.
Attention has now turned toward determining exactly what happened during the maintenance test flight.
As of Friday, officials have not announced a cause for the cr4sh. There is currently no verified information establishing whether a mechanical malfunction, human error or another factor caused the Apache to go down.
A specialized safety investigation team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama, arrived in Texas on Thursday, August 13, and is leading the investigation.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft, available flight information, maintenance history and other evidence as they reconstruct the helicopter’s final moments.
The fact that the helicopter was conducting a maintenance test flight is an important detail confirmed by Fort Hood, but it does not by itself indicate that a maintenance problem caused the cr4sh. Investigators have made no such determination.
The AH-64E Apache normally operates with a two-person crew, meaning Deontre T. Huey and Seth L. Olmstead were the complete flight crew aboard the helicopter at the time of Wednesday’s incident.
For Fort Hood and the surrounding Central Texas communities, the incident has now shifted from an emergency response to a period of mourning and investigation.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, are being remembered as two soldiers whose service ended during a military flight mission. Their families and fellow service members now await answers as Army investigators work to determine what caused the Apache helicopter to go down near Salado.