Roll of Honor
James M. Carter
Incident
Border Patrol Inspector James Carter and Pilot Douglas Shute 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. Inspector Carter was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of WWII. He was survived by his wife and two children. He is buried in the Richland Springs Cemetery in San Saba, Texas.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-5293E4FE- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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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.
Border Patrol Inspector Carter gave the United States Department of Justice 1 year.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James M. Carter served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Border Patrol Inspector James M. Carter is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol, 46 of 68 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 67.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James M. Carter's cause is highlighted.
How James M. Carter Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James M. Carter is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
67 officers from United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service - United States Border Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
