| Date: 2 January 1970 |
| Aircraft type: A-6A Intruder |
| Serial Number: 152937 |
| Military Unit: VA-196 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Ranger |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Bruce Carlton Fryar (KIA) |
| Lt Nicholas George Brooks (KIA) |
| Two Intruders were despatched on a raid on a storage dump near the Mu Gia Pass in southern Laos under the control of a USAF FAC. As Lt Fryar made his second 40-degree dive on the target the aircraft (call sign Milestone 507) was seen to explode at about 5,400 feet and the starboard wing separated from the fuselage. Two good parachutes were seen by both the FAC and the other Intruder crew, indicating that both men had ejected. A SAR mission was launched immediately and orbiting aircraft picked up emergency beeper signals. One of the crew was seen lying on the ground still attached to his parachute. A pararescueman was lowered to the ground and tried to attach a hoist to the airman, who was identified as Lt Fryar and was apparently dead, but heavy ground fire forced the helicopter away and the pararescueman only just escaped with his life. Encroaching darkness put an end to further rescue attempts that day and when the rescue forces arrived at the scene the following morning they found that the pilot and his parachute were gone. Although an emergency beeper was heard intermittently later that day there was no further sign of either of the Intruder crew and the search was called off several days later. The Brooks family later received information from an unspecified and uncorroborated source that Lt Brooks had been captured and had escaped three times before being killed by his captors. His remains were returned to the USA by Laotian freedom fighters in 1982 and were buried at sea on 25 March of that year. The most probable cause of the Intruder’s demise was a hit from 23mm flak that was present at the time. However, it was also thought possible that the explosion might have been caused by a premature detonation of the aircraft’s ordnance. It was still carrying six Mk82 bombs when it blew up. |
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