Officers Wendell Troyer and David Guider were assigned to ARGUS, the Oakland Police helicopter, on the evening of October 2, 1973. Troyer, 47, was a 22-year veteran of the department and the pilot that evening. Guider, 26, had 4 years with Oakland Police Department. He was assigned the observer position in ARGUS.

At 9:35 p.m. as they were patrolling over East Oakland, they received a dispatch directing them to assist downtown units in a robbery. As they flew west, the helicopter suddenly lost power and plummeted to the ground. The helicopter crashed in a large explosion and fire. Both officers were trapped in the flaming ARGUS and were unable to escape.

The initial investigation revealed a possibility that the officers were victims of a sniper. Troyer had a gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses claimed that they heard gunshots prior to the crash of the helicopter.

It was later released that the helicopter suffered a mechanical failure that resulted in the loss of power and subsequent crash.

Troyer was married with two children.