Donald D. Engen
 Donald D. Engen    | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1924-05-28 Pomona, California |
| Died | 13 July 1999 (Age 75) Minden, Nevada |
Cause of death | plane crash |
| Alma mater | U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Naval War College |
| Relatives | Hunter Ellis |
Donald Davenport Engen[1] was a United States Navy vice admiral, former Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and former Director of the National Air and Space Museum.
Career
Engen fought in World War 2 and Korea as a carrier pilot. In the 1950s he was a test pilot.
1960s-1970s
In January 1962 Engen was appointed commander of Carrier Air Group 11 and from early 1963 he served as operations officer on the USS Coral Sea.[2]:30 In April 1964, he received his first command as captain of the USS Mount Katmai. He would command the ship until 31 August 1965 when he left to attend the Naval War College, in preparation for taking command of USS America.[2]:30
On 21 July 1966, Engen became Captain of USS America. During this command the USS Liberty incident took place, where Israel attacked a US intelligence ship, and America launched aircraft to engage the attackers before being ordered to recall the aircraft.[2]:30–32 In July 1967, Engen passed command of America in Valletta and he returned to the US.[2]:32
In September 1967 he received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the George Washington University.[2]:32–3 In September 1968 he was assigned to the Chief of Naval Operations and headed the Aviation Plans Branch until February 1970. He then headed the Strategic Plans Branch until June 1971, a service for which he was awarded the Legion of Merit.[2]:33 In July 1971 he was appointed commander of Carrier Division Four and was awarded a Gold Star to the Legion of Merit for his service during this period.[2]:33 In June 1973, he was appointed Deputy Commander in Chief United States Naval Forces Europe, his final command was as Deputy Commander in Chief US Atlantic Command.[2]:33
Engen retired in 1978 with the rank of Vice-admiral.[2]:33
Government career
In 1982 he was appointed to the National Transportation Safety Board. On 10 April 1984 he was appointed Administrator of the FAA and held this role until 2 July 1987. In 1996 he was appointed Director of the National Air and Space Museum, a position which he held until his death.[3]
Death
He and William S. Ivans died on 13 July 1999 when the glider they were flying broke up in flight near Minden, Nevada.[3] He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
