The Army on Friday identified the soldier killed in an AH-64 Apache helicopter crash last week near the Kentucky-Tennessee border as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright, a pilot assigned to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade.
Wright, 40, was conducting a routine training mission alongside another pilot when their aircraft went down around 7 p.m. on June 11, according to a statement released by Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Emergency responders pronounced Wright dead at the scene. The second pilot, whose name has not been disclosed, sustained minor injuries and was treated and released that evening from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Col. Tyler Partridge, the commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, described Wright as a devoted soldier who brought an infantryman's grit and dedication to his role in Army aviation.
"A former infantryman, Dustin cherished every opportunity to be outside and support ground troops," Partridge said in a statement. "He did so with strength and honor. We will forever cherish the memories of his service, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him."
Wright enlisted in the Army in 2010 and joined Fort Campbell in May 2022. Over the course of his career, he earned numerous awards and decorations, including the Air Medal with a "C" device for combat service, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the Expert Infantryman Badge. He also held the Army Aviator, Parachutist and Pathfinder badges -- a testament to his breadth of training and commitment.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, was among those offering condolences following the soldier's death. "No matter how it happens, when we lose someone who has committed to serving our country, I know it hurts that family -- but it should hurt all of us," he said in a statement Thursday.
It's unclear what caused the crash. The Army's aviation has seen a series of deadly incidents in recent years, including in January when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing all 64 people aboard the commercial jet and the three-soldier military crew.
In 2023, two pilots were killed when an Apache crashed during a night training exercise in Alaska. That crash prompted an internal review of maintenance procedures and flight protocols, particularly around operations in extreme environments.
Between 2000 and 2024, the Army saw 105 incidents related to the AH-64 Apache, 16 of which resulted in deaths or total destruction to the aircraft, according to service data. The bulk of those incidents were attributed to fatigue and mechanical issues.
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