Micron Technology’s Board of Directors have issued the following statement:
We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Appleton, Micron (Nasdaq:MU) Chairman and CEO, passed away this morning in a small plane accident in Boise. He was 51.
Our hearts go out to his wife, Dalynn, his children and his family during this tragic time.
Steve’s passion and energy left an indelible mark on Micron, the Idaho community and the technology industry at large.
The company expects to provide additional information later today.
Micron Technology, Inc., is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets a full range of DRAM, NAND and NOR flash memory, as well as other innovative memory technologies, packaging solutions and semiconductor systems for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, embedded and mobile products. Micron’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the MU symbol. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com.
MacDailyNews Take: Our condolences to Mr. Appleton’s family, friends, and co-workers. R.I.P., Mr. Appleton.
Sad news. Micron has always been a company I admired, keeping a lot of its manufacturing here in the US. That kind of leadership will be missed.
Never heard of te company. Always sad when someone passes unexpectedly, but how or what is their affiliation with Apple?
Micron makes RAM and SSDs for Macs (Crucial.com) among other things, not to mention being a long-time MDN advertiser.
RIP
Purchased RAM from the Crucial division and was never disappointed.
Good prices and quality product from a quality company (based on my experience, anyway).
Condolences and regards to Steve’s family.
I believe I have 8 GB of Crucial memory in my MBP.
RIP, and my condolences.
Sadly, too many rich people think that just because they can AFFORD a plane, they will be good at flying it. And they’re not. The list grows longer.
Much more to this than that. The plane was an experimental early model of the Lancair IV. According to reports he’d aborted one takeoff already before the short-lived fatal flight. Although it looks like he’s had an error of judgement in trying the second takeoff I don’t think his skill as a pilot has caused this.
Sad all in all.
So, it’s only rich people who crash airplanes? People that rent airplanes don’t make mistakes? Professionals who fly daily don’t make mistakes? No pilots ever succumb to catastrophic mechanical failures?
What an unbelievably ignorant comment.
You could be rich, too, if you weren’t consumed with class envy.
You’re probably a typical Liberal, looking for a handout, wanting the Gubmint to play Robin Hood for you.
You president, President Divisive, with his love of inciting class warfare and dividing Americans against one another will pay the price for his warped anti-American views come election day.
Leave the transparent partisan crap for elsewhere please.
Seriously, not here.
+1
About all “2012” does is threadshit political crap. He really needs to take his act down the road and not come back unless he wants to talk about Apple with the grown ups
Since it isn’t obvious you’re responding to MacRaven, I’d like to point out what a hypocrite you’d be if not.
The response was to everyone wanting to inject that nonsense into a thread about the untimely death of an exceptional individual. There are plenty of other MDN threads where posters can deride those of other political philosophies. The subject of this one deserves better.
Please take your ignorance to one of the ignorant political blogs, where it belongs.
You speak out of ignorance. Appleton flew experimental and eclectic aircraft for years. He knew what he was doing and assumed the risks.
Frankly, dying crashing an experimental aircraft sounds a lot better than wasting away on life support letting some assistance home leach away your estate.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Appleton and congratulations for living the life.
From Wikipedia:
“As of March 2010, the NTSB Aviation Accident Database records 19 crashes involving 17 fatalities across all (Lancair) IV variants.”
@ecrabb … As a former ATC guy I can tell you the rate of accidents among weekend flyers and those who don’t fly professionally is far higher than for those who do the job as a profession (commercial, military etc).
Their ability to make crucial decisions during critical moments of failure is far, far less honed and results in making bad mistakes or thinking they can handle problems that a professional would recognize faster and possibly more likely sort out is the issue that leads to casual flyers to kill themselves with an alarming degree of regularity, sadly. They ignore their instruments and think they level, they ignore impending signs of closing weather, they lack the ability to judge mechanical issues that get out of hand, etc.
This isn’t to say commercial and military pilots don’t make mistakes or that fatal mechanical failures don’t happen for them, it’s just they are better prepared and trained to react when they do.
I loved Crucial RAM and this loss is a tough one for the family and company. Very sad, indeed.