Bobby Sturgell has served as FAA’s deputy administrator since 2003. In September 2007, he was elevated to acting administrator.

 

A native of Southern Maryland, Sturgell is a 1982 graduate of the US Naval Academy and a 1992 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. He served in the Navy as a naval aviator and an instructor at Top Gun, the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, before retiring as a commander.

 

United Airlines hired Sturgell to fly commercial planes, such as the 757 and 767, and later he became a flight operations supervisor. Sturgell also practiced aviation law in Washington, DC and then served as the senior policy advisor at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). He was the focal point for analysis and coordination of NTSB’s safety recommendations, policies, programs and safety initiatives.