Micron CEO Appleton dies in plane crash

Micron Technology

By msnbc.com staff and wire

Updated at 7:45 p.m. ET

Steve Appleton, chairman and CEO of Micron Technology, has died?in the crash of a small plane?in Boise, Idaho, the company said Friday. He was 51.

Appleton's experimental, single-engine Lancair plane crashed about 9 a.m. between two runways at the Boise airport, according to KTVB.com, the website for Boise's NBC TV affiliate.?He was the only person onboard.

?Our hearts go out to his 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.?

In a recording of the pilot's conversation with air traffic control, Appleton could be heard requesting permission to turn back shortly before the crash.

"I'd like to turn back in... and land. Coming back in," Appleton said to air traffic controllers, according to KTVB.com.

Appleton was an avid pilot who flew in airshows and was also an off-road car racer.

"Steve was a high-energy, never-give-up type of inspirational leader of the company. The entire industry will miss Steve's energy," said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Kevin Cassidy. "That said, Micron has a deep bench of managers that shared Steve's vision."

Appleton survived a 2004 crash that occurred while he was flying aerobatic manuevers over the Idaho desert. Witnesses said Appleton and a passenger crawled from the wreckage after the crash, which was blamed on pilot error, according the Idaho Statesman.

"I was only in the hospital one night, and then I went home and showed up for work Monday morning," Appleton told KTVB at the time.

"My description of myself, whether I'm the CEO of a very competitive industry or whether I happen to fly aerobatics in airplanes, it's all one package," he said. "I mean, it's the personality that comes through in my business at my personal life."

Micron Technology, founded in 1978, is one of the world's top producers of semiconductors. It has about 20,000 worldwide employees and had revenues of?$8.7 billion in its latest fiscal year.

Appleton joined Micron in 1983 and held a series of increasingly responsible positions, including production manager, director of manufacturing, and vice president of manufacturing, according to the company's website. In 1991, he was appointed president and chief operating officer and in 1994 he was appointed chairman, chief executive officer and president. He assumed his current position in 2007.

Flags were being flown at half-staff at the company?s?Boise headquarters.

Appleton served on the board of directors for the Semiconductor Industry Association. Last year, the?trade group gave?him the Robert Noyce award at a dinner and?showed dramatic video of him participating in adventure sports. The award, named after Intel co-founder Robert Noyce, goes to people who have made big contributions to the chip industry.

Appleton received a bachelor of business administration degree from Boise State University in 1982 and an honorary doctorate from Boise State University in 2007, according to the Micron corporate website. In addition to his wife, Appleton leaves behind four children.

Trading in Micron shares was?halted on the Nasdaq market?for the news announcement.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/03/10311652-micron-ceo-appleton-dies-in-plane-crash

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