Raymond L. Murray

Forest Ranger Raymond Murray was killed in an airplane crash while taking off from the Pleasant Valley Airfield near Hammondsport, New York. He was conducting an aerial patrol to detect forest fires and violators of state fire laws. Ranger Murray's flight was the inaugural flight launching a new forest fire detection system from the air by the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation. The plane crashed into a house on the Bath-Hammandsport Road approximately a quarter mile past the end of the runway. It is believed the crash was caused by a strong downdraft. Another forest ranger and the pilot suffered severe injuries in the crash. Ranger Murray was a veteran of WWII. He had served with the New York State Forest Rangers for 20 years.