Micron CEO Steve Appleton Dies in Plane Crash
Steve Appleton, chairman and CEO of flash memory manufacturer Micron, died Friday in a small plane crash at Boise Airport in Idaho. He was 51.
"Our hearts go out to [Appleton's] wife, Dalynn, his children, and his family during this tragic time," the company said in a statement. "Steve's passion and energy left an indelible mark on Micron, the Idaho community, and the technology industry at large."
Appleton was alone in his experimental Lancair single-engine stunt plane and died after being ejected from the aircraft when it crashed a few minutes after takeoff, according to reports.
Micron, headquartered in Boise, was founded in 1978 and is a leading maker of DRAM, SDRAM, NAND and NOR flash memory, SSD, and CMOS sensor chips. Appleton had been the company's chairman and chief executive since 1994.
The athletic Boise State University graduate joined Micron in 1983. Appleton steadily climbed the executive ladder at the semiconductor firm, was appointed president and chief operating officer in 1991, and upon his taking over the chief executive reins from retiring Micron founder Joe Parkinson at the age of 34, he was listed as the third-youngest CEO in the Fortune 500.
Though Micron has struggled somewhat in the rough economic climate of recent years, under Appleton's leadership, the company maintained its position as one of the top 20 global semiconductor manufacturers in terms of sales. During his tenure Micron and Intel jointly invented and produced NAND flash memory.
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, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Officials are investigating the cause of the crash and could have a preliminary report by the end of next week, the Journal reported.
Appleton was a qualified stunt pilot who 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, a punctured lung, and an increasing number of critics who argued that a key figure at a publicly traded company like Micron shouldn't engage in such activities.
Micron hadn't named a successor to Appleton as of Friday evening. The company's current president and COO is Mark Durcan.
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