Stephen Demko is a B-757/767 Captain for United Airlines, with over 30 years of flying experience in Part 91, 135, and 121 operations. He also serves as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Accident Investigation Board Chairman, the Basic and Advanced Accident Investigation Training Course Director, and the Chief Accident Investigator for United Airlines ALPA. These roles have allowed him to develop, coordinate, and instruct in numerous ALPA safety courses.
Prior to Mr. Demko’s current positions with United Airlines and ALPA, he served as Senior Air Safety Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for 7 years. During this time, he was responsible for investigating high visibility, complex, and unique accidents and incidents, involving a wide range of aircraft that spanned the industry from general aviation to air carrier operations. Most notably, Mr. Demko was involved in the investigations of: the John F. Kennedy Jr. accident, the Space Shuttle Columbia accident, the World Trade Center terrorist events, a mid-air collision between a Boeing 737 and Embraer Legacy in Brazil, and was the IIC of hundreds of additional accidents. He developed numerous Safety Recommendations during his tenure as an NTSB IIC, resulting in notable aviation industry safety changes.
During his downtime, he enjoys flying his Piper Cherokee Six.