Air Operations Supervisor David F. Roberson

Air Operations Supervisor David F. Roberson

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

End of Watch Friday, July 14, 1989

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David F. Roberson

Air Operations Supervisor David Roberson was killed in an airplane crash while tracking a group of illegal aliens near San Luis, Arizona, approximately four miles north of the Mexican border.

The Christen A-1 Husky single-engine plane he was piloting stalled, causing it to crash at a steep angle and burst into flames.

Supervisor Roberson had served with the United States Border Patrol for 23 years. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Bio

Age Not available
Tour 23 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Aircraft accident
Location Arizona

aerial search, plane crash

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Most Recent Reflection

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One of my best personal memories is flying with Agent Roberson as a young Marine shortly before his passing.

He taxied to the base of the ATC tower and asked if any of the controllers wanted to fly on patrol with him. My Msgt asked if I wanted to go and I practically jumped out of the tower.

It was HOT but he handed me a jacket and told me it gets cold at altitude. It did. As a young man I was pumped. We departed from runway 26. We flew all over. First we flew under the railroad bridge over the Colorado River between Arizona and California checking for illegal aliens. He then cut the line along the border and explained how he tracked crossers from the air and called units into the area.

He showed me the Blythe Intaglios (drawings of a person and a horse best seen from the air) and Patton’s WW2 camp where the Army trained for the African campaign. For me it was one of the most memorable days of my life.

I was on duty in the tower when he passed a few weeks later. A sad day. He was a good guy and helped inspire me to join the Border Patrol a few years later.

Mark Ivy
US Border Patrol Retired

June 18, 2025