EXHIBIT 99.6
 
NEWS BULLETIN FROM
FRB
THE FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD, INC.
 
RE:
 
DECRANE AIRCRAFT HOLDINGS, INC.
2361 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 180
El Segundo, CA 90245
TRADED:  NASDAQ:  DAHX
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
 
AT DECRANE: Robert A. Rankin, Chief Financial Officer (310) 725-9123
AT DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE: Cathy Conroy (212) 892-3275
 
AT THE FINANCIAL RELATIONS BOARD: Karen Taylor--General Information; Moira
Conlon-- Investor/Analyst Contact; Marjorie Ornston--Media (310) 442-0599
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 17, 1998
 
    DLJ MERCHANT BANKING PARTNERS II AND DECRANE AIRCRAFT HOLDINGS, INC.
ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT FOR ACQUISITION OF DECRANE AIRCRAFT HOLDINGS AT $23.00 PER
SHARE
 
    NEW YORK, NY, JULY 17, 1998--Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc. (NYSE:DLJ)
and DeCrane Aircraft Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: DAHX), jointly announced that
DeCrane and an affiliate of DLJ Merchant Banking Partners II, DeCrane
Acquisition Co., have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to
which DeCrane Acquisition Co. would acquire DeCrane for $23.00 per share of
common stock of DeCrane. The board of directors of DeCrane has unanimously
approved the transaction and resolved to recommend that DeCrane shareholders
accept the offer.
 
    Pursuant to the merger agreement, DeCrane Acquisition Co. will promptly
commence a cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock at
$23.00 per share, net to the seller in cash. The offer is conditioned upon,
among other things, a minimum of a majority of the shares being properly
tendered and not withdrawn prior to the expiration of the offer. The offer is
also subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals.
 
    In the merger to occur following the consummation of the tender offer, each
share of DeCrane common stock outstanding and not tendered pursuant to the offer
will be converted into the right to receive $23.00 in cash. There are currently
approximately 7,500,000 shares of DeCrane common stock outstanding.
 
    DeCrane common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. The last
reported sale price of the common stock on Thursday, July 16, 1998 was $17.625.
 
    DeCrane Acquisition Co. expects that the necessary filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the tender offer will be
made within the next several days and that the offer documents will be mailed to
DeCrane shareholders promptly thereafter. DLJ Securities Corporation is acting
as dealer manager and D.F. King & Co., Inc. as the information agent in
connection with the tender offer.
 
    R. Jack DeCrane, Chairman and CEO of DeCrane, stated, "This transaction
allows stockholders to receive cash for all their shares at a very attractive
price while DLJ Merchant Banking will be a source of capital for the company to
pursue acquisitions and implement its business plan."
 
    Thompson Dean, Managing Partner of DLJ Merchant Banking Partners II, said,
"We are excited to invest in a company with such rapid growth prospects and
industry leading products. We look forward to

providing management with the capital to aggressively grow these businesses
through both internal investment and acquisitions."
 
    DLJ Merchant Banking Partners II, a $3 billion fund dedicated to private
equity and equity-related investments, seeks significant capital appreciation
through domestic and international investments in common or preferred stock and
debt or other securities in leveraged acquisitions and corporate joint ventures.
Since its formation in November 1996, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners II has
consummated (or contracted to consummate) 22 transactions valued at
approximately $10 billion, the largest of which include Ameriserve, DecisionOne,
Duane Reade, Thermadyne and Von Hoffman Press.
 
    Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette is a leading integrated investment and merchant
bank serving institutional, corporate, government and individual clients. DLJ's
businesses include securities underwriting; sales and trading; merchant banking;
financial advisory services; investment research; venture capital; correspondent
brokerage services; online, interactive brokerage services; and asset
management. Founded in 1959 and headquartered in New York City, DLJ employs
approximately 7,700 people worldwide and maintains offices in 14 cities in the
United States and 10 cities in Europe, Latin America and Asia. The company's
common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DLJ.
For more information on Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette, refer to the company's
world wide web site at http:// www.dlj.com.
 
    DeCrane Aircraft Holdings, Inc., based in El Segundo, California, is a
leader in the manufacturing and integration of avionics components primarily for
the commercial aircraft market, with the balance for the corporate, military,
and regional airplane sectors. The firm has grown rapidly, mainly through
acquisitions, and believes itself well positioned to participate in an ongoing
consolidation of the fragmented aerospace-supplier industry.
 
                                        ###
 
    Financial Relations Board, Inc. serves as financial relations counsel to
this company, is acting on the company's behalf in issuing this bulletin and
receiving compensation therefor. The information contained herein is furnished
for information purposes only and is not to be considered an offer to buy or
sell securities.