KILLEEN, Texas â€"  A training missile fell off an Apache helicopter and landed near houses in Texas, forcing 100 homes to be evacuated.

The 100-pound, 6-foot piece of metal dropped out of the sky in Killeen, near the Fort Hood military base, on Tuesday evening, MyFoxAustin.com reported.

The missile dropped near the home of Kenton Davis, whose children were playing outside and alerted Davis when they saw the missile hit the ground.

"I think I broke half of it trying to pull it out until I realized what it was when I lifted it up and read the bottom of it so ... yeah," he said.

'I think I broke half of it trying to pull it out . . .'

- Kenton Davis

 

According to MyFoxAustin, III Corps Chief Aviation Col. Howard Arey says the piece of metal is an M-36 Captive Flight missile, a training device that allows Apache crews to simulate missile engagements and it is never intended to leave the helicopter. He says these types of devices don't have a warhead or propulsion.

Arey says the men inside the Apache had no way to tell the device had fallen off the helicopter, but they were called back to base once it was reported.

Fort Hood says the investigation into what caused the device to fall is ongoing.

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