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A US Navy Captain, commercial airline pilot, former senior NTSB accident investigator, aerospace engineer and airframe & power plant mechanic with over thirty-eight years of aviation experience.  As an aerospace engineer, he was involved with JT9D engine development and FAA certification testing with Pratt & Whitney. Later, he joined the NTSB where he served on the Go-Team as a powerplant specialist in the Aviation Engineering Division and a US accredited representative in the Major Investigations Division.  He flew the Lockheed S-3A aboard USS Constellation, culminating in commanding Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR-53), flying the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.  He left the NTSB in 1999 to become a commercial airline pilot with Atlas Air flying the Boeing 747-400 and later with Southwest Airlines flying the Boeing 737.

 

Throughout his career, he has participated in over twenty major aircraft accident investigations and over thirty engine failure and fire investigations.  Participated in the inspection and review of the airline companies and military units in which he has been associated.  Currently heads the Go-Team for the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association.  He is a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) – Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter.

 

His notable investigations include:

  • Southwest B737 fight 2294, Charleston, West Virginia, 2009
  • Southwest B737 flight 1248, Chicago, Illinois, 2005
  • Swissair MD11 flight 111, Blandford, Nova Scotia, 1998
  • Propair Pro 420 SA-226, Montreal, Québec, 1998
  • Cebu Pacific DC9 flight 387, near Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines, 1998
  • JFK Jr. PA-32 near Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, 1999
  • TWA B747 flight 800, near East Moriches, New York, 1999
  • Hageland Air C208B, Barrow, Alaska, 1997
  • Scenic Airlines C208B, Montrose, Colorado, 1997
  • Great Lakes Aviation 1900C / A90, Quincy, Illinois, 1996
  • Delta Air Lines MD-88 flight 1288, Pensacola, Florida, 1996
  • Garuda Indonesia flight 865, DC-10, Fukuoka, Japan, 1996
  • Atlantic Southeast Airlines, EMB 120RT, flight 529, Carrollton, Georgia, 1995
  • ValuJet DC-9 flight 597, Atlanta, Georgia, 1995
  • Las Vegas Airlines PA31-350, Tucson, Arizona, 1995
  • American Eagle BA3201 flight 3379, Morrisville, North Carolina, 1994.
  • USAir B737 flight 427, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, 1994.
  • KLM Cityhopper flight KL433, Saab 340B, Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, 1994
  • Eagle Aviation SA-26AT, Winchester, Virginia, 1994
  • Federal Aviation Administration A90, Front Royal, Virginia, 1993
  • American Airlines DC10 flight 102, Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Texas, 1993
  • Evergreen International B747 flight JAL 46E, Anchorage, Alaska, 1993
  • Lockheed High Technology Test Bed L100, Marietta, Georgia, 1993
  • Kalitta Flying Service Beechcraft C-45G Vopar, Elkridge, Maryland, 1992
  • United States Navy VS-37, S3A, San Diego, California, 1987

 

Academic Background

  • East Coast Aero Technical School (Lexington, MA) – Airframe and Power Plant Mechanic; Feb 74
  • Parks College of Saint Louis University (Cahokia, IL) – Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering (2 Degrees); Aug 77

Continuing Education and Training

  • Aviation Officer Candidate School, U.S. Navy, Pensacola, FL, Aug-Nov 82
  • Naval Safety Officer School, Post Graduate School, Monterey, CA 03 May-11 Jun 92
  • Accident Investigation School, NTSB, Washington, DC Feb 93
  • Jet Engine Mishap Investigations, Phoenix College of Aeronautics, Daytona Beach, FL 25 Jan – 3 Feb 94
  • Aerospace Industries Association Engine Failure Training, the Boeing Company, Seattle, WA 11-16 Jan 96
  • 2nd FAA Workshop on Uncontained Engine Debris Characterization Modeling  & Mitigation, San Ramon, CA 23-24 Jan 96
  • Interface between Flight Crews & Modern Flight Deck Systems, FAA, Washington DC 18 Jun 96
  • AIA Transport Committee (TC) Propulsion System Malfunction (PSM) + Inappropriate Crew Response (ICR), London, UK 10-12 Jun 97
  • PW 4090 Familiarization, Pratt & Whitney
  • Southwest Airlines Steps 1 thru 4 Required Navigation Performance (RNP), Dallas, TX, Mar 09, Nov 09, Mar 10, Nov 10
  • CAPA Safety Conference, Just Culture, Dallas, TX 26-28 Oct 09

Licenses

  • FAA Airframe & Powerplant Mechanics License, 15 Feb 74
  • Lockheed L-382 Type Rating 30 Sep 96
  • Boeing 737 Type Rating 4 Feb 99
  • Boeing 747-400 Type Rating Nov 99

Professional Experience

  • RTI Forensics, LLC, Aircraft Maintenance, Power Plant Maintenance, Flight Operations, Reciprocating and Turbine Powerplant Investigation, 2010 – Present
  • Alpine Airways, Fixed Base Operator (FBO), A & P Mechanic, Apr – Aug 74
  • Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Engine Manufacturer, Experimental Engineer, Aug 77 – Jul 82
  • US Navy, National Defense, Pilot, Aug 82 – Feb 90
  • US Naval Reserves, National Defense, Mar 90 – Present
  • California Wings, (FBO), Traffic Watch Pilot / A & P Mechanic, Mar – Dec 90
  • National Transportation Safety Board, Aircraft Accident Investigation, Oct 92 – Sep 99
  • Atlas Air, Air Cargo, Pilot, Sep 99 – Feb 02
  • Southwest Airlines, Scheduled Passenger Airline, Pilot, Mar 02 – Present

 

Professional Associations and Activities

  • International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) – Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Dec 10
  • Naval Reserve Association, Alexandria, VA 16 Dec 99 – Present