UPDATE: Two soldiers killed in Helicopter crash near Salado identified by Fort Hood

SALADO, Texas (KWTX) - Fort Hood has now confirmed the military helicopter crash that killed two soldiers near Salado, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon was a "maintenance test flight."Fort Hood confirmed the aircraft was one of its AH-64 Apache at [KTRE]

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Fort Hood officials confirmed Thursday that an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter operating as part of scheduled maintenance activities went down Wednesday afternoon near Salado, killing both crew members aboard. The aircraft crashed in a rural field adjacent to Dove Hollow Lane at approximately 1:30 p.m., according to emergency dispatch records. Emergency responders arrived at the scene after receiving multiple reports of smoke rising from the area, with callers describing what they believed to be an aircraft in distress.

The two servicemembers aboard were identified by Fort Hood as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton. Military medical personnel pronounced both soldiers deceased at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Hood, released a statement expressing condolences to the families. "The Army is a family, and a tragedy like this is felt throughout our formations and our community," Admiral said.

The crash occurred in an unpopulated field, but emergency responders characterized the impact as violent. Bell County Sheriff's Office officials temporarily closed Farm to Market Road 2843 in the immediate area as first responders worked the scene. The violent nature of the collision ignited surrounding vegetation, eventually spreading across 155 acres of grassland.

Fire officials contained the blaze by Thursday afternoon, though Bell County Sheriff Cliff Coleman clarified at a press conference that containment did not equate to full control of the fire. Crews remained positioned around the perimeter to monitor hot spots and prevent re-ignition. Coleman said firefighters anticipated achieving complete control by Sunday at 5 p.m. Five residential properties near the fire's path were evacuated as a precaution, but all five homes were ultimately preserved with no structural losses reported.

The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing. Fort Hood has not released additional details regarding the maintenance test flight or circumstances surrounding the helicopter's failure.