Texas Military Department Identifies Two Soldiers Killed In Helicopter Crash Off Texas Coast

Updated 4:50 p.m.: The Texas Military Department officials have released the identity of the two Texas Army National Guard soldiers who were killed in a helicopter crash in at El Jardin Beach in Seabrook Wednesday afternoon.

Chief Warrant Officer - 3 Dustin Lee Mortenson, 32, of League City, Texas was an aviation material officer.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth Mortenson of League City.

Chief Warrant Officer-2 Lucas Maurice Lowe, 33 of Hardin, Texas, was an aircraft maintenance officer and is survived by his wife Kami Bush of Hardin, Texas.

Both men were killed with their aircraft crash into the water at about 3:50 p.m.

Lowe and Mortenson were assigned to the 1-149 Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 36th Infantry Division at Ellington Field.

Army National Guard officials indicated that the flight was a normal training mission so the Texas Guard soldiers could maintain their flight proficiency.

The cause of the fatal crash will be investigated as part of a U.S. Army inquiry through the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, which is based at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Original story: SEABROOK, TX — One of the two U.S. Army personnel killed in a training flight Wednesday afternoon when their helicopter crashed in Galveston Bay has been identified.

Lucas Maurice Lowe, 33, who was from Hardin, Texas was one of two soldiers who were piloting an AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter as part of the 1-149th Attack Helicopter Battalion, a Texas Army National Guard unit based at Ellington Field in Houston.

The name of the second soldier has not been released.

Officials said both men were highly trained to fly the aircraft.

"Our pilots are very competent and they are very well-trained," Chief Warrant Officer-5 Glen Webb told the Houston Chronicle.

The crash happened at about 3 p.m. at El Jardin Beach near the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Seabrook.

Rescue personnel scrambled to the site and found the aircraft was upside down with its wheels protruding from beneath the murky water. The situation was quickly deemed a recovery mission, rather than a rescue mission.

Army National Guard officials indicated that the flight was a normal training mission so the Texas Guard soldiers could maintain their flight proficiency.

"Since we do not know the cause of the accident, we can't speculate on anything like that. All we know is our pilots are highly trained, highly qualified veterans that have been flying this aircraft for many years," said Master Sgt. Sean Cowher.

The cause of the fatal crash will be investigated as part of a U.S. Army inquiry through the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, which is based at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

The AH-64 Apache is the U.S. Army's primary attack helicopter; its primary mission is the destruction of what military officials call high-value targets.

The aircraft has a tandem-seated crew cockpit; the pilot occupies the rear seat and the co-pilot/gunner is seated in the front.

The 1-149th Attack Helicopter Battalion is part of the Texas Army National Guard's 36th Combat Aviation Brigade and has deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Image:U.S. Army via Flickr