Rites Planned for Marines Killed in Helicopter Crash

Memorial services for three Marines killed Thursday night in a helicopter crash near Trabuco Canyon will be held today in the El Toro Base Theater at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Commanding officers of the three men will pay tribute to them during the 3 p.m. funeral service, a Marine Corps spokesman said.

Maj. Dudley Wayne Urban, 36, of Orange, the helicopter’s pilot; Maj. William John Leslie Anderson, 34, of Santa Ana, the co-pilot, and Sgt. Bradley Arthur Baird, 26, of Irvine, the crew chief, died when their CH-46E Sea Knight slammed into a brush-covered hillside.

At their funeral today, Col. Thomas Conley, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 46, will make general comments and Lt. Col. Warren Reid, commanding officer of the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764, will offer a remembrance of each reservist, said Lance Cpl. Bradley Mitzelfelt.

In addition, Capt. Jake Walker, the maintenance officer for Marine Aircraft Group 46, and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Wagner, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the group’s tool room, will read from the Scripture, Mitzelfelt said. A bugler will play Taps.

The three men set out on a routine training flight about 7:30 p.m. when, shortly after takeoff, the helicopter slammed into a steep, brush-covered ridge between Bell and Trabuco canyons.

Two Trabuco Canyon residents said they saw the helicopter fly low into clouds surrounding the 2,300-foot-high ridge seconds before they heard it hit. Searchers aboard a Sheriff’s Department helicopter discovered the wreckage at 6 the next morning.

Unlike the larger Sea Stallions and Super Stallions, many of which are also based in Orange County, the Sea Knight does not have a notable accident record. In 1984, in fact, the Sea Knight had the lowest accident rate of any Navy aircraft. Still, it has been in at least nine fatal accidents, including a midair collision four years ago above the Marine Corps Helicopter Air Station at Tustin that killed its three-man crew.

The cause of Thursday’s accident is still under investigation.

Urban is survived by his wife, Janet, and two children. Baird leaves his wife, Lori, and a 3-year-old daughter. Anderson leaves his wife, Connie, Marine Corps officials said.

Urban and Anderson were reserve officers with lengthy flying experience. Baird was on active duty.