Human Performance Consultant with over 30 years of experience in human performance investigation; in which 26 of those years were with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, DC. Human performance issues involved in transportation accidents include speech analysis, fatigue, operator impairment, crew coordination, cockpit design, automation, and corporate culture.
Subsequent to his retirement from the NTSB, he participated as a consultant and expert witness in investigations, such as: Technical Specialist for Spanish government agency CIAIAC on the Air Algérie MD-83 accident near Gossi, Mali; Asiana Airlines in connection with Flight 214 accident at San Francisco CA ; Independent Pilots Association in connection with UPS Flight 1354 accident at Birmingham, AL; Gulfstream Aerospace G IV accident at Hanscom Field, MA, and consultant to aircraft underwriters in the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappearance.
He has also served as an expert witness for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (technical factors limiting speech lie detection) and U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Service (prosecution of manufacturers of an alleged speech lie detector).
Academic Background
- B.A. with distinction, Boston University, Boston, MA
- M.A. Stanford University, Stanford, CA (Psychology)
- Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (Psychology)
Licenses
- Private pilot license
Professional Experience
- RTI Group, LLC, Annapolis, MD. Human Performance Consultant, 2014 - present.
- Consultant/Expert Witness, 2013 – present.
- Consultant to aircraft underwriters in the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappearance.
- Technical Specialist for Spanish government agency CIAIAC (Comisión de Investigation de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviatión Civil) in connection with the Air Algérie MD-83 accident near Gossi, Mali (2014).
- Consultant to Asiana Airlines in connection with Flight 214 accident at San Francisco CA (July 2013).
- Consultant to Independent Pilots Association in connection with UPS Flight 1354 accident at Birmingham AL (August 2013).
- Consultant on mid-air collision at Hampton NY (plaintiff).
- Consultant on Gulfstream Aerospace G IV accident at Hanscom Field, MA (2014).
- Previously served as Expert Witness for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee (technical factors limiting speech lie detection) and U.S. Department of Justice (prosecution of manufacturers of an alleged speech lie detector).
- Human Performance Investigator, National Transportation Safety Board, Washington D.C., 1986-2012:
- Human performance specialist on NTSB go-team launches, major investigations, and public hearings, including those involving large commercial aircraft, corporate aircraft and general aviation accidents, as well as marine, rail, and highway crashes.
- Chief, Human Performance Division, Office of Aviation Safety (2007-2009)
- Instructor, NTSB Training Center (“Human Performance Investigation,” “Investigating Human Fatigue,” and “Witness Interviewing”) (2004-2012)
- NTSB investigations included:
- Midair collision of Aeronaves de Mexico DC-9 with Piper PA-28 over Cerritos, CA (1986)
- USAir B-737 accident at Alequippa, PA (1994)
- Valujet DC-9 accident in the Everglades (1996)
- Korean Air B-747 accident at Guam (1997)
- Egyptair flight 990 crash in the Atlantic Ocean near Newport RI (1999)
- Midair collision in Brazil between Gol Transportes Aéreos B-737 and Embraer Legacy business jet (2006); human performance support to Brazilian authorities
- Crash of Spanish MD-82 at Madrid Spain (2008);human performance support to Spanish authorities
- Crash due to fuel exhaustion of Air Methods Eurocopter AS350 helicopter on EMS flight near Mosby, MO (2011)
- Alaska Airlines MD-83 accident in Pacific Ocean off CA coast (2000)
- American Airlines A300 separation of vertical stabilizer, NY (2001)
- American Eagle BAE-J3201 crash short of runway at Kirksville MO (2004)
- US Airways A320 birdstrike/ditching (“Miracle on the Hudson”)(2009)
- Singapore Airlines B747 wrong runway takeoff at Taipei Taiwan (2000) (support of Taiwan authorities)
- Air France Flight 447 crash in Atlantic Ocean (2009) (support of French authorities)
- Avient Airlines MD-11 runway overrun during takeoff at Shanghai China (2009) (support of Chinese authorities)
- Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 crash upon landing at Riyadh Saudi Arabia (2010) (support of Saudi authorities)
Honors
- NTSB National Resource Specialist—Human Performance (2001)
- Recipient of NTSB Chairman’s Award (2000)
- Recipient of NTSB Employee Peer Award (2000)
- Chapter President, International Society of Air Safety Investigators (1984-86)
- Recipient, National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship (1968-1972)