Roll of Honor
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
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-A5BC75A2- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Darryl Taylor served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.
Pilot James Darryl Taylor is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 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 32 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, 44 of 94 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 46.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Darryl Taylor's cause is highlighted.
How James Darryl Taylor Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Darryl Taylor is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
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.
Others Who Wore This Badge
93 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
