MINNEAPOLIS -- CyberOptics founder and chairman Steven K. Case was killed last night when the small plane he was piloting crashed while trying to land at a suburban Minneapolis airport.

Case, 60, died following a crash of his single-engine Cirrus SR22 around 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

He founded CyberOptics in 1984 while a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota. He was CyberOptics’ president until 1998 and became the chairman in 1995. He was a director of the American Electronics Association and a director of the Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association since 2008.

In a statement, president and chief executive Kathleen P. Iverson said: "Everyone at CyberOptics is shocked and deeply saddened by Steve’s death, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife and family. He was a brilliant engineer, whose many inventions and technological breakthroughs not only established the foundation for CyberOptics’ success, but also helped transform the surface mount electronics industry. Most importantly, Steve was a wonderful friend and colleague to everyone who worked with him. He established a strong and capable management team, and we will do what Steve would want and that is to continue aggressively pursuing the ideas and promising opportunities he helped set in motion.”