The Army plans to resume AH-64 Apache training flights this week, days after grounding the fleet following a fatal maintenance test flight in Texas, according to an internal memo reviewed by Defense One. The memo says the aviation safety stand down will conclude at midnight Tuesday, with flight operations scheduled to resume Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead died Aug. 12 during the test flight out of Fort Hood. The Army announced the AH-64 training-flight stand down after the crash and said it would remain in effect until officials had a better understanding of the accident’s root cause.
The Army’s decision to restart training flights marks the next stage of its response to the crash while the investigation continues. A U.S. official told Defense One that the service had eliminated a previously identified transmission problem as a causal factor. The official also confirmed that Apache training flights would resume this week.
The transmission issue had prompted an earlier grounding of some AH-64E helicopters. The Army confirmed the problem about three months before the Texas crash. The defect could result in a loss of tail-rotor thrust, electrical power and hydraulic systems, making it a significant safety issue for the fleet. The Army’s conclusion that the issue was not a factor in the Fort Hood crash distinguishes the earlier fleet concern from the accident that prompted the current stand down.
The Aug. 14 memo lays out the activities planned during the stand down. Commands were directed to focus on aviation academics and safety-related topics, with senior commanders involved in the sessions. General officers were to provide opening remarks emphasizing the importance of the safety event. Commanders were also instructed to review, brief and discuss Army aviation safety statistics and trends with their units.
The memo cited nine Army aviation fatalities in 19 Class A mishaps from fiscal year 2023 through the current fiscal year. Class A mishaps are the service’s deadliest and most costly category of incidents. The figures provide the broader safety context for the stand down, which was organized as both a response to the Fort Hood crash and a fleetwide review of aviation risks.
The planned restart applies to Apache training operations covered by the stand down. The memo says formations deployed by U.S. Central Command are exempt from its requirements. That exception means the order is focused on the affected training operations rather than serving as a universal halt to every Apache activity.
The transmission issue remains a separate maintenance matter for the service and Boeing. Boeing Defense, Space, and Security senior director Mark Ballew said the company had crews working with the Army on affected components for more than a month. A Boeing spokesman said the company was continuing that work.
The Army’s return to Apache training flights is therefore tied to the service’s assessment of the transmission issue and to the safety measures conducted during the stand down. The Fort Hood crash investigation remains ongoing as the fleet prepares to resume scheduled training operations on Wednesday.