United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Wednesday, June 6, 1956
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 6 years, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: June 6, 1956
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Pilote Douglas and Border Patrol Inspector James Carter were killed in an airplane crash approximately 25 miles northwest of Langtry, Texas, while tracking suspected illegal aliens on the Carson Ranch.
Inspector Carter and his partner were conducting a "sign-cutting" operation, a term used to describe locating and following footprints or other physical evidence left by a person traversing an area. They had discovered several sets of footprints when Pilot Shute landed the Piper Super Cub nearby and picked up Inspector Carter to assist as an observer as his partner remained on horseback.
At about 10:00 am Pilot Shute reported by radio that the subjects had been located and directed Inspector Carter's partner on a course to intercept them. The plane was then seen making a banking turn to the left and resuming level flight at a 100-foot altitude. Moments later the plane went into a steep climb before stalling at 450 feet. The plane then rapidly descended and struck the ground in vertically, the engine being driven back into the cockpit. Inspector Carter and Pilot Shute were both killed upon impact.
Pilote Shute was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the United States Border Patrol for six years. He was survived by his wife. He is buried in the Globe Cemetery, Globe, Arizona.