UPDATE: The missile that fell into a field in Killeen on May 15 was from an AH-64 Apache helicopter.
Fort Hood's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team was sent to the area. They identified the missile as an M36 training device. M36 training devices do not contain a warhead or propulsion system and are for crews to simulate Hellfire missile engagements without launching from the aircraft.
At around 11:45 p.m. the device was removed from the ground and returned to the instillation.
"Safety is always our number one concern, and we regret the inconvenience to the families affected in the area. We want to reassure the public that our military aircraft never fly off the installation with live munitions," Col. Howard Arey, III Corps aviation officer said in a press release.
"An investigation is underway, even as we review our safety and other procedures to ensure we understand why this happened and how to prevent it from happening in the future. We won't know the cause until the investigation is complete, but we believe at this time that it is not a systemic issue," Arey said in a press release.
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Around 7:30 p.m. on May 15, a missile fell from the sky and landed in the area of Aquarius Drive and Trimmier Road in Killeen. Homes were evacuated and Trimmier was shut down as a bomb squad investigated.
Shortly before 10:00 p.m., Fort Hood officials notified KCEN HD News that the missile was a training device that was accidentally dropped from a helicopter. It was not live or a danger to anyone in the area.
Homes were evacuated as a precaution.
No word yet on why the Fort Hood helicopter was in that area or how the missile was accidentally dropped.
As of 10:30 p.m., Trimmier Road was still shut down but we're told people were being allowed back in their homes.
Stay tuned to KCEN HD News for more on this developing story.
