Major John M. Brucher was flying a mission over North Vietnam in an F105D aircraft when it was hit by hostile fire and crashed on February 18, 1969. Brucher was seen to eject and land in trees, and emergency beeper signals were heard. Brucher reported by radio that he had landed in a tree, and that he was suspended in mid-air and unable to free himself from his parachute. He later reported having a dislocated shoulder. Rescue efforts were suspended until the following day because of intense hostile fire in the area. When the rescue helicopters returned, Brucher's parachute was found still hanging in the tree, empty. Attempts at radio contact with Brucher were unsuccessful.

Brucher's last known location was near the Ban Karai Pass in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. He was listed Missing in Action, even though there is every reason to believe that the Vietnamese know his fate.

Some analysts have suggested that the pilots flying near the border of Laos near the DMZ were aggressively pursued by the Vietnamese. During this time of the American ground operation known as Dewey Canyon II, the Vietnamese had troop and equipment buildup sites in the region they wished to keep secret. Pilots flying overhead might compromise that information, if not destroy the sites themselves. The Vietnamese, therefore sought to eliminate the planes.