Former FAA Administrator David Hinson Dies

Former FAA Administrator David Hinson has died at the age of 90.

Hinson, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, served as administrator for three years, from 1993 to 1996.

His tenure was marked by several major airline crashes, including the ValuJet crash, which killed 110 people in the Florida Everglades in 1996. The accident drew criticism of the FAA for its handling of the airline in its wake.  Hinson also oversaw the air traffic control modernization effort, which was over budget and behind schedule when he took office, and he enacted a “One Level of Safety” program intended to raise safety standards for commuter airlines.

Hinson, a native of Muskogee, Oklahoma, and a former Navy pilot, served as a pilot for Northwest Airlines and as an instructor pilot for United Airlines. After heading a venture as a distributor for Beech Aircraft, he co-founded Midway Airlines, serving as its chairman for six years. He was appointed to the FAA while working as an executive vice president for Douglas Aircraft, a division of McDonnell Douglas.

“We are forever thankful for the services of former FAA Administrator Hinson,” says Pete Bunce, General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO. “He did a steadfast job overseeing the FAA during trying times. On behalf of the entire staff and membership of GAMA, I extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Administrator Hinson’s family, friends and former colleagues.”

Hinson’s son, Eric, serves on GAMA’s Board of Directors and on its Executive Committee as its 2023 chairman.