By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-24 20:41:50 | Updated at 2026-09-03 11:47:42
1 week ago
U.S. Army Apache helicopters are crashing at historically high rates following transmission problems and human error, analysts say.
A study of military accident data conducted by CNN determined that the 2026 fiscal year is on pace to have the second-most Apache flight accidents since 2011. (RELATED: ‘Cut Into A Lot Of Pieces’: Plane Collides Into Police Helicopter, Leaving 1 Dead In ‘Very Violent Crash’)
An Army flight safety newsletter suggested in July that over half of the year’s Apache accidents can primarily be attributed to human error, according to CNN.
However, it remains unclear what percentage of the most severe crashes can be attributed to equipment failure. The newsletter noted that “a catastrophic transmission failure was noted in one Class A mishap,” the outlet reported.
Class A mishaps are defined as accidents resulting in either the death or permanent disability of a person, the loss of an aircraft, or more than $2.5 million in damages.
Problems with the transmission in these 2011 models could cause failures in the helicopter’s tail rotor, electrical power, and hydraulics, potentially causing the aircraft to spiral, CNN reported.
CNN estimated that the Apache’s major crash rate so far this year is approximately 6.24 per 100,000 flying hours. By comparison, 2024 saw approximately 7.02 major crashes per 100,000 flight hours.
The Army ended a pause on training flights for the aircraft on Wednesday. The break was put in place following the most recent fatal crash involving an Apache helicopter in Texas, according to CNN.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead were killed after their helicopter crashed in a grassy field in Texas on Aug. 12, the Associated Press reported.
Four other major crashes involving Apache helicopters have been reported since October, according to CNN.
An Army spokesperson, Maj. Montrell Russell told CNN that the Army expressed sadness over the deaths of the servicemen but said it was unable to release “technical aviation information,” citing “special controls and release protections.”
