End of Watch November 15, 1987
Age 41
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

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.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. James is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Pilot Taylor gave the United States Department of the Treasury 10 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtuscsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 15, 1987
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Age 41
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

James Darryl Taylor served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Accident

James is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1987, 76 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 35th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

James was 41. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. James had served 10 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service has 94 officers remembered here, James among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Pilot James Darryl Taylor

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service · End of Watch November 15, 1987

Military Service

James Darryl Taylor served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

Visit James Darryl Taylor’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 12-W

Also Remembered

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