Richard Loyd Bray, III

Biography

Richard Bray, III was born on January 10, 1950 in Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. His parents were Richard Bray, Jr and Peggy Bray (Tate). He was a Aircraft Maintenance Crewman (ARMY) / Helicopter Door Gunner.

He died on October 27, 1968 in Vietnam from Helicopter Crash and was buried in Serenity Gardens, Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States.

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16504

The Army purchased this helicopter: 0667

Total flight hours at this point: 00001088

Date: 10/27/68

Incident number: 681027061ACD

Accident case number: 681027061

Total loss

Unit: 92 ASSAULT HELICOPTER COMPANY

The station for this helicopter was Dong Ba Thin in South Vietnam

Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0

Crew Members:

P - WO1 MULLINS, EDWARD PATRICK KIA

AC - WO1 ACKERMAN, DENNIS CARLTON KIA

CE - SP4 HEAD, NOBLE THOMAS KIA

G - PFC BRAY, RICHARD LOYD III KIA

Accident Summary:

UH-1H Army helicopter 66-16504 was involved in an accident during an attempted medical evacuation from A/3/506th, located at coordinates BN 368958. There was a crew of four(4) on board the flight. A pilot report on the weather in the area of the crash at 1545 hours was overcast at 20 feet above terrain and the mission of 66-16504 was to pick up a sick man from A/3/506th at BN 368958 and take him to fire base (Tudo). The aircraft entered a hole in the overcast and was flying from west to east toward A Company's position. Aircraft 462, orbiting one(1) mile to the north, called 504 and said that the weather was deteriorating rapidly and advised aborting the mission. WO1 Ackerman rogered this transmission. Prior to this transmission, WO1 Mullins had reported to A Company that he had their LZ in sight. No further transmissions were received from aircraft 504 and at 1545 hrs. A Company reported hearing what they thought was a crash and small arms fire. At 1545 hrs., Stallion aircraft 462 and A Company began a search for the missing aircraft. At 1607 hrs., A Company reported hearing small arms fire at approximately 300 meters. At 1618 hrs., a company reported locating the aircraft and two (2) bodies at BN 376965, which is approximately 1200-1300 meters in the direction of flight from A Company's LZ and a ground distance of approximately 1800 meters. At 1640 hrs, A Company reported finding another body approximately 100 feet northwest of the wreckage. At 1658 hrs., A Company reported that the "A" Company executive officer went into the wreckage itself and located the fourth body. When the aircraft was located, it was found to have burned and M-60 ammo was still being detonated from the heat. The aircraft was traveling from west to east, but the wreckage was found pointing from east to west. The search for additional bodies was continued the rest of the afternoon as it was not immediately known how many persons were aboard the aircraft