United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Sunday, November 15, 1987
Age: 41
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: November 15, 1987
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Pilot James Taylor and Pilot David Crater were killed in an aircraft crash along the United States-Mexico border near Calexico, California.
They were flying in the area to serve as a reference point for radar detectors that had been moved into the area. The Cessna 441 Conquest they were operating crashed approximately one-half mile south of the border after it struck a 300-foot ridge.
A search was initiated after ground units lost contact with the aircraft.
Pilot Taylor was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the United States Customs Service for 10 years. He was survived by his wife and three children.