Plane crash kills Micron CEO
Appleton was flying experimental craft
BOISE – The head of memory chip maker Micron, long known for taking risks in stunt piloting, died Friday when a small experimental plane he was piloting steeply banked, stalled and crashed near a runway at the Boise airport.
Steve Appleton, who survived a similar crash eight years ago and had a reputation as a hard-driving daredevil, was the only person aboard the plane when witnesses said it crashed shortly after its second take-off attempt in Boise, according to safety investigators.
Appleton’s death was confirmed by Micron Technology Inc. Corporate governance experts raised questions in the past about whether Appleton, as CEO, should be engaging in a hobby as risky as stunt piloting.
Micron shares were up 23 cents at $7.95 Friday before trading was halted for the announcement.
“Steve’s passion and energy left an indelible mark on Micron, the Idaho community and the technology industry at large,” Micron’s board of directors said in a prepared statement.
Micron is one of many companies that make semiconductor chips for various devices, including computers, mobile devices, cameras, cars and industrial systems. It makes products under the Lexar and Crucial brands, and is one of Idaho’s largest and most influential employers.
The 51-year-old Appleton hadn’t filed a flight plan and by all indications planned to stay in the area for a recreational flight, investigators said.
In July 2004, Appleton sustained a punctured lung, head injuries, ruptured disk and broken bones after his stunt plane crashed in the desert east of Boise.
After that crash, Appleton didn’t immediately reveal the severity of his injuries, and at the time a Micron spokesman described Appleton as only sustaining some “bumps and bruises.”
Appleton’s death came one week after the company’s president and chief operating officer, D. Mark Durcan, announced plans to retire in August. Mark W. Adams, Micron’s vice president of worldwide sales, was named to succeed Durcan.
Micron spokesman Dan Francisco said Durcan is assuming the responsibilities of CEO until the company’s board appoints Appleton’s successor.
The board planned to meet over the weekend to discuss its next steps.
News of Appleton’s death sparked an outpouring of homage from Idaho leaders, with Gov. Butch Otter lauding him as a champion and visionary businessman.
Appleton was the face of Micron for most Idahoans. The company was instrumental in the Idaho’s tech boom and is known for charitable giving, recently donating $13 million for a new building at Boise State University.
Appleton started on the factory floor of Micron in 1983 and worked his way up. He assumed his position as CEO and chairman in 2007.