David R. Hinson
Encyclopedia
David Russell Hinson is an American
aircraft pilot and former head of Midway Airlines (ML)
.
David R. Hinson is best known for the three years, 1993 to 1996, during which he served as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) as an appointee of President Bill Clinton
.
Hinson oversaw the government's response to the Valujet Flight 592
crash on May 11, 1996 in the Florida Everglades. According to the NTSB, the airline had improperly transported cabin chemical-oxygen generators in the cargo hold, which started a fire onboard when the initiation pins were jostled and the oxygen generators began to flow. The chemical reaction inside the metal canisters created tremendous heat, ignited tires adjacent to the canisters, and the oxygen fed the fire. Eventually the cabin filled with smoke and fire from the cargo hold area.
The findings of the NTSB on the crash were challenged by those who believed that arcing in the electrical wiring system may have caused the fire. Electrical fire incidents occurred with TWA Flight 800
and Swissair Flight 111
, both after the Valujet crash.
Mr. Hinson has been involved with flying since 1954, when he entered flight school with the Navy. After a hitch in the military, he flew as a pilot for Northwest Airlines
and as an instructor pilot for United Air Lines. He then spent ten years (1963-73) as Director of Flight Standards and Engineering for Hughes Airwest
. In 1973, he moved on to other ventures, including a distributorship for Beech Aircraft. Then, in 1978, he joined with three other people to start Midway Airlines (ML)
, which he served as chairman for six years (1985-91). While working as the Executive Vice President for Douglas Aircraft, a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas
, President Clinton appointed him to head the FAA. Hinson was able to enact a number of important changes for the flying public, such as the "One Level of Safety" for commuter aircraft and the use of satellite technology for civil aviation.
He now serves on boards at the National Air and Space Museum
and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
. He continues to fly his own plane, a Beechcraft Duke, and has logged more than 8,000 hours in over 70 aircraft types.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aircraft pilot and former head of Midway Airlines (ML)
Midway Airlines (ML)
Midway Airlines was founded on October 13, 1976, by investor Irving T. Tague. Although it received its operating certificate from the Civil Aeronautics Board prior to the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, it is widely recognized as the first post-deregulation start-up...
.
David R. Hinson is best known for the three years, 1993 to 1996, during which he served as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) as an appointee of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Hinson oversaw the government's response to the Valujet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592
ValuJet Flight 592 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight between Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, and William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia...
crash on May 11, 1996 in the Florida Everglades. According to the NTSB, the airline had improperly transported cabin chemical-oxygen generators in the cargo hold, which started a fire onboard when the initiation pins were jostled and the oxygen generators began to flow. The chemical reaction inside the metal canisters created tremendous heat, ignited tires adjacent to the canisters, and the oxygen fed the fire. Eventually the cabin filled with smoke and fire from the cargo hold area.
The findings of the NTSB on the crash were challenged by those who believed that arcing in the electrical wiring system may have caused the fire. Electrical fire incidents occurred with TWA Flight 800
TWA Flight 800
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 , a Boeing 747-131, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 20:31 EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 persons on board. At the time, it was the second-deadliest U.S...
and Swissair Flight 111
Swissair Flight 111
Swissair Flight 111 was a Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 on a scheduled airline flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, United States to Cointrin International Airport in Geneva, Switzerland...
, both after the Valujet crash.
Mr. Hinson has been involved with flying since 1954, when he entered flight school with the Navy. After a hitch in the military, he flew as a pilot for Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
and as an instructor pilot for United Air Lines. He then spent ten years (1963-73) as Director of Flight Standards and Engineering for Hughes Airwest
Hughes Airwest
Hughes Airwest was an airline that was backed by Howard Hughes. Hughes Airwest flew routes around the western United States and to certain points in Mexico and Canada. The airline was purchased by Republic Airlines on October 1, 1980...
. In 1973, he moved on to other ventures, including a distributorship for Beech Aircraft. Then, in 1978, he joined with three other people to start Midway Airlines (ML)
Midway Airlines (ML)
Midway Airlines was founded on October 13, 1976, by investor Irving T. Tague. Although it received its operating certificate from the Civil Aeronautics Board prior to the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, it is widely recognized as the first post-deregulation start-up...
, which he served as chairman for six years (1985-91). While working as the Executive Vice President for Douglas Aircraft, a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
, President Clinton appointed him to head the FAA. Hinson was able to enact a number of important changes for the flying public, such as the "One Level of Safety" for commuter aircraft and the use of satellite technology for civil aviation.
He now serves on boards at the National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is a Frederick, Maryland-based non-profit political organization. Incorporated on 15 May 1939, AOPA's membership consists mainly of general aviation pilots in the United States...
. He continues to fly his own plane, a Beechcraft Duke, and has logged more than 8,000 hours in over 70 aircraft types.