Contact photographer J.B. Barbour
What: Raleighwood Aviation LLC Lancair IVP-TP (built by Carlos Garza)
Where: Boise Airport, Idaho
When: Feb 03 2012, 8:58 a.m.
Who: 1 fatality
Why: Steve Appleton was flying an experimental Lancair IVP-TP. On his second flight, he took off, turned back to the airport. He contacted ATC and said ““321 Lima Charlie, I’d like to turn back in, and uhh, land. Coming back in.” and then crashed.
Safety Board investigator Zoe Keliher said “Appleton took off at about 8:46 a.m, got the plane five to 10 feet off the ground and landed again. He returned to the hangar, then took off again at 8:54 a.m.; he got to between 100 and 200 feet when, according to witnesses, the plane suddenly stopped, banked and fell to the ground.”
It crashed between two runways.In 2004, Appleton survived a crash that gave him a punctured lung, head injuries, ruptured disk and broken bone. This time, Appleton died at the scene. The plane was badly burned.
He was the CEO of Micron.
He had several planes which he flew frequently. (He has owned 20 planes.)
The four seat experimental plane is sold as a kit. This one was built by built by Carlos Garza.