Micron CEO Steve Appleton Dies in Small Plane Crash in Boise

Joe Jaszewski / Idaho Statesman

The wreckage of a Lancair experimental aircraft that crashed at the Boise Airport Friday morning.

The Associated Press confirms Micron’s chief executive officer Steve Appleton has died in a small plane crash in Boise.  He was 51.

Micron spokesman Dan Francisco confirmed Appleton’s death Friday. Trading in Micron stocks has been halted.  Appleton, an avid pilot, was the only one in the experimental fixed-wing plane when it crashed at the Boise airport Friday morning.

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.

Micron Technology’s board of directors has issued this statement on its website:

We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Appleton, Micron 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.

The company was founded in October 1978 in Boise, Idaho.  Micron is one of Idaho’s largest employers with more than 5,000 employees.  The company has gone through a series of layoffs since 2005, when it had nearly 10,000 employees in Idaho.