Let K be a nonarchimedean local field, let L be a separable quadratic extension of K, and let h denote a nondegenerate sesquilinear formk on L3. The Bruhat-Tits building associated with SU3(h) is a tree. This is applied to the study of certain groups acting simply transitively on vertices of the building associated with SL(3, F), F = Q3 or F3((X)).