A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashes near Fort Hood in Texas, killing two soldiers on board. The aircraft goes down in a field in Bell County, northwest of Austin, according to multiple outlets. Local emergency responders work at the scene after the crash and a fire breaks out.
Fort Hood confirms the incident, with some reporting that the crash occurs during a routine training flight, while other coverage describes it as occurring during a Wednesday afternoon sortie. Officials and outlets say they are withholding or not yet publicly identifying the victims pending family notification. NBC News and others note the crash is followed by large flames and that evacuations are carried out in some areas.
Across the reports, the differing emphasis centers on the scale of the fire and evacuations and on the location details (including areas near Salado). Several outlets also cite limited information about the cause, stating investigations are ongoing and what specifically led to the crash has not been determined publicly.
