Robert Francis, a long-time aviation safety advocate who served on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA, died on April 17 at the age of 83. Francis was appointed to the NTSB by former President Bill Clinton in 1995 and was involved in the investigations of ValuJet Flight 592 in the Florida Everglades in May 1996 and TWA Flight 800 off the coast of New York in July 1996. He served on the Board until 1999.

Before he joined the Safety Board, he had held several positions with the FAA, including as senior representative in Western Europe and North Africa. During his time with the agency, he was involved with global aviation safety and security issues and was part of the U.S. team that helped with the investigation of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. He joined the Flight Safety Foundation board of governors in 2005 and continued in that capacity until 2015.

NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt had told the Flight Safety Foundation that “Bob was a true friend of mine and aviation safety. He was totally devoted to aviation safety and was always the consummate gentlemen.”

Francis was also an original founder and served a stint as chairman of the Washington, D.C. branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society. The leadership of that branch called Francis’s professional achievements extraordinary and said, “International aviation was not just his job, it was his passion. He loved the way aviation brought the people of the world closer together and he had a genuine affection for his colleagues who worked in this amazing industry. Bob had friends in every corner of the earth and now all of those friends share the sadness of his passing and recall the joy of his fellowship.”