Micron CEO dies in small plane crash
| February 6th, 2012
February 6, 2012
Chairman and CEO of flash memory manufacturer Micron, Steve Appleton died Friday in a small plane crash at Boise Airport in Idaho, reports Aviation Pros. He was 51 and married with children.
Alone in his experimental Lancair single-engine stunt plane, Appleton died after being ejected from the aircraft when it crashed a few minutes after takeoff, according to reports.
Appleton’s plane went down as he attempted to turn the aircraft around and land it after radioing air traffic controllers with a request to return just minutes after taking off. It was reportedly Appleton’s second attempt to fly the plane Friday morning. He had aborted an earlier take-off attempt after just seconds in the air.
A qualified stunt pilot, Appleton performed daring aerial feats in air shows, while also racing motorcycles and engaging in other “daredevil” pursuits. He had previously crashed a stunt plane in 2004. That accident left him with a broken back and a punctured lung.
Officials are investigating the cause of the crash and could have a preliminary report by the end of next week.
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