Charles Miller was born in Cleveland, Ohio. A Marine flier in World War II, he became a flight test engineer, an experimental test pilot, then a safety research director, lecturer, and writer for a major university. But he is best known as a world authority on aircraft accident investigation and prevention. Formerly a director of the Bureau of Aviation Safety, National Transportation Safety Board, he pioneered human factors engineering and developed “system safety” as a recognized technical discipline. Many of his innovative safety concepts are now standard operating practices in the aerospace and other industries.