The US Army has suspended all AH-64 Apache training flights following a helicopter crash in Texas that killed two soldiers, while operational missions involving the aircraft will continue.

The Army said the precautionary stand-down was ordered after an AH-64E Apache assigned to Fort Hood crashed during a post-maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas, on Aug. 12. The suspension will remain in place until investigators obtain more information about the cause of the accident.

The order applies only to training and instructional flights. Apache helicopters assigned to operational and combat missions will continue flying, the Army said.

Two soldiers killed in test flight

The helicopter went down about 30 kilometers (19 miles) southeast of Fort Hood during what the Army described as a routine maintenance test flight.

Both soldiers on board were killed in the crash. The Army later identified them as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25.

The crash also ignited a large grass fire around the wreckage, prompting an emergency response from local and military authorities.

Investigation underway

The Army has launched an investigation into the accident to determine what caused the helicopter to crash. Officials said the temporary suspension of training flights will remain in effect until investigators gather sufficient information to assess whether additional safety measures are required.

The investigation is being led by the US Army Combat Readiness Center, which is responsible for examining military aviation accidents and recommending measures to prevent similar incidents.

Part of broader aviation safety procedures

The latest stand-down follows the Army's established practice of temporarily grounding aircraft fleets after fatal accidents to allow investigators to review potential safety concerns.

Similar service-wide flight pauses were implemented following deadly Army helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky in 2023, as part of broader aviation safety reviews.

The AH-64 Apache remains the US Army's primary attack helicopter and continues to be deployed in operational missions despite the temporary suspension of training flights.(ILKHA)