Officer Down Memorial Page - http://www.odmp.org

Border Patrol Inspector James M. Carter | United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government
United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government

Border Patrol Inspector

James M. Carter

United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government

End of Watch: Wednesday, June 6, 1956

Biographical Info

Age: 35
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 1 month
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: June 6, 1956
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Patrol Inspectors James M. Carter and Carter M. Newsome were temporarily detailed from Marfa, Texas, to Comstock, Texas, on June 4, 1956, for a two-week horse patrol operation to work in the vicinity of Comstock. On June 6, these officers, accompanied by Patrol Inspector Emmit R. Brotherton, were about 35 miles north-northwest of Comstock engaged in "sign-cutting", a term applied to locating and following footprints or other physical evidence left by a person traversing an area. The officers had located two sets of footprints and were tracking them when Service aircraft N4375A, piloted by Airplane Pilot Douglas G. Shute, arrived. Thereafter, the aircraft was used in the search operation with Patrol Inspector Carter serving as observer in the plane. At about 10:00 a.m., the pilot reported by radio that the walkers had been located and directed the ground crew on a course to intercept them. The plane was then seen making a banking turn to the left and resuming level flight at 100 feet altitude. Shortly thereafter, the plane went into a steep climb and at 450 feet it stalled, falling into a left spin from which there was no recovery. There had been no change in engine power during the maneuver, in the spin, or at impact. The plane struck the ground in vertical descent, the engine being driven back into the cockpit. The force of the impact telescoped the cabin, imprisoning the pilot and observer.

Carter was survived by his wife. He is buried in the Richland Springs Cemetery in San Saba, Texas.