The Silver Eagles want to recognize and memorialize former Silver Eagles and others of the NTSB family who have passed away. Please send death notices or full orbituaries to jhenderson815@verizon.net.
Batten, Charlie, former Chief of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Division, passed away in late October 2009.
Burnett, Jim, age 62, former NTSB Chairman, passed away in Clinton, Arkansas, on May 15, 2010. Burnette was named to the NTSB in 1981 by then-President Ronald Reagan. He served on the board until 1991 and fulfilled the role of chairman from 1982 to 1988. Born in Little Rock on Sept. 20, 1947, he moved to Clinton with his family and graduated from high school there. Burnett attended the University of Arkansas, where he obtained a law degree in 1973. He also was an alumnus of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Burnett had a reputation as a strong, independent safety advocate during and after his service on the NTSB. He was active in a campaign to raise the minimum drinking age to 21 across the nation. In 1986, then-first lady Nancy Reagan presented Burnett with the National Commission Against Drunk Driving Award, recognizing his leadership in that campaign. After a train carrying hazardous materials derailed in Louisiana in 1982, Burnett led efforts to adopt federal rules dealing with intoxication of railroad workers, which eventually led to drug and alcohol testing for transportation workers. In 1994, the IREI Air Safety Foundation of Japan dedicated a monument in Burnett's honor near the site of a 1985 Japan Airlines crash in Japan, according to information his family members provided to the funeral home. The memorial recognized Burnett's leadership in aviation safety and accident prevention. NASA and the United States Space Foundation inducted Burnett into the Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1996 for his work in promoting a fire-resistant aircraft seat.
Bush, Norman J., husband of Barbara Bush, passed away on June 17, 2010.
Diegel, Ray, formerly with the NTSB Office of Highway Safety, passed away on March 11, 2010.
Finch, Truman W. “Lucky,” passed away on August 23, 2010, after a brief illness. Lucky was an active fighter pilot in the Navy for 16 years during World War II and the Korean War. He was released form active duty in April 1959, and nine days later accepted employment with the Civil Aeronautics Board, Bureau of Safety - later the National Transportation Safety Board - as an Air Safety Investigator at the Fort Worth, Texas, office. In July 1963 he was selected as one of the four original Senior Air Safety Investigators (Team Captains) and transferred to Washington, D.C., to serve as Investigator-In-Charge of major catastrophic aircraft accidents. He subsequently became the Manager of the NTSB's Fort World field office, where he retired in 1986. Lucky was the original founder of SASI. In 1964, he stated to Joe Fluett, his supervisor, "Why don't we create and organization devoted strictly to promoting aviation safety with no side issues involved." He was given the go-ahead and the Society of Air Safety Investigators, (SASI), was born later to become the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI). In the spring of 1964, ISASI founded. Mr. Fluett appointed himself President and Lucky was the Secretary/Treasurer. Mr. Bobby Allen, director, Bureau of Safety was appointed as the Vice President. Lucky is Charter member 003. Lucky Finch was know to many around the world. It was the contribution and vision from early pioneers such as Mr. Finch that transformed aviation into the ultra-safe from of transportation that exist today. Lucky was in the same squadron and flew with Donald Engen, who later became a Rear Admiral in the Navy, and a NTSB Board Member and Administrator of the FAA. While Lucky may have left us, his memory will always be reflected in the numerous achievements he has left behind.
Goglia, Patty, wife of former NTSB Member John Goglia, passed away on February 7, 2010.
Lamb, William Lee, formerly with the NTSB Office of Aviation Safety, passed away on April 29, 2010.
Kivowitz, Jay, formerly an IIC in the Railroad Division of the Office of Railroad, Pipeline, and Hazardous Materials Investigations, passed away on February 4, 2011, from heart and vascular disease after suffering for several years from a variety of health problems. Click here for memories of Jay from some of his friends and former associates.
Lanoway, Alex, passed away on January 20, 2011. Al retired from the Office of Aviation Safety in 1983 and was living in Punta Gorda, Florida. Click here for memories of Al from some of his friends and former associates.
Laynor, William G. “Bud” Jr., passed away on August 1, 2009.
Quinlan, Kevin, of the NTSB Office of Safety Recommendations, passed away on December 16, 2008, while on a skiing trip to Vermont.
Sweedler, Barry, age 72, former NTSB Director of Safety Recommendations, passed away on October 27, 2009, at his home in Lafayette, California, after a year-long struggle with colon cancer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 11, 1937, Barry he was trained as an engineer and went on to a lifelong career dedicated to public safety. He spent 31 years at the NTSB, where he worked tirelessly to prevent tragedies in all modes of transportation. Barry conceived of the idea of the “Most Wanted List” of transportation safety improvements. He also is known for use of the phrase “tombstone mentality” to explain why agencies wait for one accident after another before implementing NTSB safety recommendations.